Fire and Ice
by gab000
Summary: At Volterra Academy, school for the gifted, Edward is a fiery and passionate individual, and he can manipulate fire. Bella is cold and distant and is deadly with her ice powers. Everything about him unnerves Bella, especially the fact that his powers and abilities rival even hers. Deeply entrenched is a bond that neither of them can deny. And as they say, opposites attract.
1. You!

**Chapter 1.**

**Summary: At Volterra Academy, school for the gifted, Edward is a fiery and passionate individual, and he can manipulate fire. Bella is cold and distant and is deadly with her ice powers. Everything about him unnerves Bella, especially the fact that his powers and abilities rival even hers. Deeply entrenched is a bond that neither of them can deny. And as they say, opposites attract.**

_"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." -Robert Frost_

* * *

I'm walking down a dark corridor. It's pitch black, and I can't even see the white of the sleek boots I'm wearing. I feel unusually cold, and that's a statement for me. I'm shivering, but I keep walking. My destination remains unknown. All of a sudden, there's light, similar to the light at the end of a tunnel, only this one has an unnatural glow. My speed quickens to find the light only to realize that the light I had seen was fire.

The blaze grows hotter and brighter and begins to encircle me. A form steps out from among the flames in the shape of a person. I back away as the person begins to look more human-like. It has bright green eyes, the only noticeable characteristic. The person of fire grows nearer, and I can't move back anymore. I'm too close to the ring of fire behind me. Dangerously close.

His hand reaches out and grasps hold of me, and I let out a scream. Agonizing pain like nothing I've felt before runs through my body. Heat courses through my body as I try to escape his hold with no avail. I'm crying and screaming as the fire runs from his hand, following the course of my arm. There's no pain like being set on fire, and it's a painfully, indescribable feeling. I watch as my body lights on fire, and all I can do is watch and _feel._ There are those green eyes again and that's the last thing I see before I'm consumed.

* * *

I wake up with a jolt. My blanket is a pool at my feet, and the wrinkled sheets indicate a wrestling. With trembling fingers, I feel the skin of my cheeks. No heat or warmth.

Alice comes running in, and I do mean _in. _She runs through the wall separating our two rooms, completely forgoing any privacy rules. "Bella, are you alright?" She asks. Her face is full of concern as she sits on the edge of the bed.

"I heard screaming." Rosalie bypasses the privacy of my room in a more civilized way by using the door, but then again, not everyone can just walk through walls or other objects. Alice is kind of different, but I guess we all are. That's why we're here. Rose looks effortlessly amazing as if she hadn't been suddenly woken up at- I glance at the clock- 2:41 in the morning. Beauty is her forté, though.

"I screamed?" I question. It's difficult, but I relive it in my mind. Yes, I suppose I did scream. Who wouldn't if they were being lit on fire?

Alice rubs my back soothingly as Rosalie joins us on the bed. Rose takes my pillow and lies back across the bed. She mutters, "I usually have to turn a pillow to its other side because it too warm. With you, it's the opposite. Damn cold pillows…"

Alice ignores her. "Was it another… dream?" She's hesitant to say the word. I'm hesitant to talk about the dreams. When I nod, she sighs. "You've had a lot of those lately."

"This is only the third one," I say.

"What can be so bad about these dreams that you're shrieking in your sleep?" Rose questions, pulling at a loose thread of my pillow. She snags the thread and lets it fall from her perfectly manicured, red nails to the floor.

I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. "Not now. I don't want to talk about it," I reply.

Rose sighs. "Well I'm tired." She rolls over, and her back is facing us.

"Go to bed," I tell them.

They don't complain as they stand up to leave. Rose exits through the door and Alice phases through the wall back to her room. I let out a sigh and remind myself that it's only a dream. I lie back on the pillow that's a little warmer than it was before, thanks to Rosalie. Within a few seconds, it's back to the temperature I like it at. I close my eyes, but sleep doesn't come.

I lie in bed for at least half an hour, noticing strange patterns in the ceiling before giving up on sleep. I make my way over to my desk. I turn the lamp on, and open my Mythology textbook to a random page. The first name I come across is Hestia, Greek goddess of the hearth. Fire. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I close the book. Instead, I settle onto the window seat that's been cooled by the window that had been left ajar. It's a cool night in mid November, and I lean against the glass of the cold window and brace myself for another sleepless night.

* * *

I exit my room when I hear Rosalie moving around in the kitchen. When I enter the kitchen, I find that Alice is here as well. I hadn't heard her wake up. Usually, she's a late sleeper, even if we have class. Class isn't for another forty-five minutes. I sit at the countertop next to Alice who's currently pouring sugar into her coffee, as if she needs any to get this day going. She's the most energetic person I know, unless she's sleep deprived. I hope I didn't keep her from getting more rest earlier.

Rose slides a cup of steaming hot coffee my way. As soon as I hold it in my hand, I cool it down some to a little above room temperature. I don't like my drinks _too _hot.

I take a sip of the drink and find it to my liking. Rose takes the spot on the other side of me. Both look at me expectantly. "What?" I ask.

"Surely you're going to tell us at least some of why you woke us up so early this morning with your screams. You know how I enjoy my beauty sleep." Rose replies.

I snort. "It's not like you need it anyway."

She rolls her eyes without disagreement. "True." She isn't the humblest person around. "But I still need a response."

"It was a nightmare," I finally say.

Rosalie looks at me, expecting more information. Alice voices it. "What made it a nightmare?"

"Fire. Lots of it." I reply.

Alice rests her elbow on the counter top. She absentmindedly swirls the stirrer around in her coffee, creating a whirlpool effect. I focus on the ripples of the liquid as Alice speaks. "Well she does manipulate ice. I suppose fire _would_ turn a dream into a nightmare for her." Her words have a mocking edge to it. I know she's just cranky.

She was telling an abridged version though. Not only can I manipulate ice. I can also manifest it. That's my ability. Everyone here at Volterra Academy is gifted. We live on campus here, and we were all chosen individually for our… talents. In addition to regular classes, we also take at least one special class suited to our abilities. I'm a 3rd year student at the academy, so I'm taking three special classes. I take an elemental class every day after my regular studies. On Mondays and Wednesdays I take a combat class after the elemental one, and Tuesdays' and Thursdays' afternoons are spent in my mythology class.

"I was lit on fire," I tell Alice, expounding upon my previous statement. The pain still feels so fresh, so real. Even more so this time than last week. That's when I had the first dream.

Alice's eyes widen in horror, and Rosalie speaks the words that Alice cannot say. "Was this the same dream as before?"

I nod and pick up my mug. "Essentially, yes. However, it was worse this time. In the previous dreams, I saw the fire, but I wasn't as close to it. There was a person that walked from the flames towards me. This time, the flames had a definite human form, and green eyes. This was the first time I noticed the eyes. The flames were hotter, brighter this time, and then it… or he touched me. Do you know how it feels to be burned alive?" I don't realize that my hands are shaking until Rosalie removes the cup from my hand and places it on the table.

"…Uncomfortable?" Alice offers.

Rosalie shakes her head. "It's only a dream, B."

I sigh. "That's what I keep telling myself, but I don't know. It felt so weird."

"Do you think the dream meant something?" Alice questions.

I laugh dryly. "I'm an elementalist, not a clairvoyant, Alice. I've probably been eating some bad fish or something before I go to sleep. We _did _have sushi last night."

Alice glances at the digital clock that rests on a small bookcase that sits on the countertop. "We should probably get going. We only have twenty minutes to get to class, and I haven't even showered yet." On the shelf below the clock rests a calendar. Today is Tuesday. I have my mythology class today, and I haven't even studied up on the next section yet. I'll make time to do so before that class though, I always do.

Out of the different fields, I'm the top person in my designated elemental field. As long as I stay on top of work in all classes, I can keep my position. And it feels great to be on top.

After we get ready, the three of us head to the main building with five minutes left to spare. Gladly, our first class is one that we all share, and it's towards the front of the building.

When the three of us enter the literature class, we take our seats at the back of the room with Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie's and Alice's respective boyfriends. The five of us form a group, and we don't too much associate with others outside of our group.

Thank goodness Jasper's here. It's kind of unusual to have family members at the academy, but Jasper and I are cousins. We had both been invited to attend here, although he received the invitation first.

The bell rings, and the teacher begins his lecture. About five minutes into it, the door opens and in walks James. His dirty blonde hair hangs in his face, as he sits in an empty seat, either ignorant of the lesson going on or not caring about it.

I turn to Jasper. "When did Hunter get back?"

Jasper keeps his eyes focused on the board, so as not to draw any attention to us. It's almost as if Mr. Porter has eyes in the back of his head sometimes. Jasper replies, "This morning, I think. Headmaster Aro has returned as well. I think they recruited someone."

James Hunter is always going on recruitment missions. He's able to sense another person's power. So long as a person uses their power, James can sense it. He and Headmaster Aro typically find and recruit people. They were the ones who showed up to recruit Jasper and I.

I'm watching Hunter, my eyes glued to the back of his form as he suddenly glances over at Mr. Porter. It's not as if James was paying any attention before now, so I wonder why he took a sudden interest in him.

"There will be no talking in my class," A voice suddenly says from behind us. A copy of Mr. Porter stands behind us. Porter #2 points to the board in front of us, as the original Mr. Porter continues his lecture, without once faltering. Having a teacher duplicate himself is a bit of a drag, but I have to admit, our teachers are very good at what they do. Most of them went to school at the academy as well when they were younger and decided to come back to teach. The ultimate goal of our being at the academy is a mastery over our abilities, and I'm on my way to doing just that.

Class ends roughly an hour later, but the five of us stay behind to converse.

"If Aro and James have returned, does that mean there's a new student?" Alice inquires.

Jasper gathers his books from the table as he responds, "Probably. Who wouldn't turn down the opportunity to learn more about yourself, to finally understand why you were so different from others?" For Jasper, that reason really hits home.

"We can't just let everybody in here though. Dorm space is limited, and not everyone is welcomed here." I retort. Jasper and I are sometimes butting heads on ideas.

Emmett joins the conversation. "Some people here can be friendly."

I roll my eyes at his naïvety. "Well you won't see me waving a welcome banner for the new kid. I doubt they'll be that powerful anyway. They'll probably end up blending in with the rest of the fillers." Fillers are what we call the people whose powers rank a two or a one. They serve no purpose other than to fill the school with more people. We could do without them here, and they serve no threat to the more powerful people. A class list is posted ever so often with our names and ranks or levels. I've always been a five, the highest you can be. Emmett's a number five as well. Rose, Jasper, and Alice are fours. The more you practice and improve your ability, the higher your level will be. Few people change though. I've been here since the 1st year class, and I've yet to change from my perfect score of five and the top spot in the elemental category.

From that class, I head to History. The five of us part ways, as I usually head straight to class, and they like to linger. I'm walking down the hallway, when someone bumps into me, causing all of our books to drop.

Immediately, the guy bends down to get the books. "Sorry," He says. He sorts through the different books, as I wait for him to hand me mine, since he caused me to drop them. It's the least he could do for the rudeness. His reddish-brown hair looks unruly and as if he'd been running his hands through it a lot. He gets mixed up for a moment, as to whose books belong to whom. With a sigh and the roll of my eyes, I bend down to take my books from his hands.

"Sorry," He apologizes again. "I'm still trying to find my way around. I'm new here."

My curiosity is piqued. He hands over the books, and our fingers briefly touch. I recoil away from him at the heat. He does the same. I know my blood runs a little cooler than most people's, however, he is warmer than most people are. But I can't say anything for sure. What standards would I judge him by? None of us here are exactly the norm of American society… or society in general.

Either way, the thought of the new kid here before me is a little too interesting to pass up. I mentally plan a sort of initiation as a way to welcome the new kid. Something involving good ol' humiliation. He seems too trusting and eager for this not to work well. But then, I look up at him to find a set of piercing green eyes staring back at me in nervousness. I stop dead in my tracks. Those are the same green eyes as the figure from my dream had.

* * *

**A/N: So, this is a new story of mine. I've decided to try out this idea and see where it goes. Tell me your thoughts.**


	2. Coincidence? I Think Not

**Chapter 2.**

**Disclaimer: Only time I'm going to do this. Of course, Twilight characters belong to the wonderful SM. This story, however, is mine.**

**A/N: I decided to post the second chapter tonight as well. Enjoy!**

* * *

Inwardly, I'm more than a little nervous. However, I keep my cool and stand. I walk away without so much of a sparing glance at the new kid. I need to clear my mind and try to make sense of all of this. I've never acted this way before. I'm the kind of person that always has a handle on things. I don't do well with things outside of my comfort level. And that new kid is definitely outside of my comfort level.

Regular classes are over by noon. I meet up with Alice, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper outside of the south entrance.

"That last math test took so much of my energy," Emmett sighs.

Rose shakes her head. "I'm sure you've got some strength left in you."

Alice walks a few feet ahead of us and then turns to face us. She stops and puts her hands on her hips. She leans her head to the side, and her long, shiny black hair blows in the wind. "Where are we going for lunch today? We've got a good hour and a half before afternoon classes resume."

"I've actually got somewhere to be during lunch," Jasper informs us. He stuffs one hand in his pocket and checks his watch with the other. "I've got a time slot for the training room."

Volterra Academy has two specialized rooms. The first is a training room. There are six of them located in the basement of the school. The training rooms are easily accessible, and you only have to sign your name for the next available time. Sessions in the training room last an hour, and you can be accompanied by one of the professors or make it a private session. And there's one other room. That's the simulation room. You have to put in a special request to use the room, but you still probably wouldn't get approved. Few people have seen this room, as it isn't available to everyone. Unfortunately, not even I have been inside the room. It's mainly used before missions, and students rarely have missions.

Jasper has been training a lot lately to increase his level four ranking. He wields the power of tangible disintegration. He can use it at will to make an item's molecules fall apart, thereby disintegrating it. Jasper explained the process to me before, as we had to learn about the nature of our powers in first year Biology. However, to me, all I see is an object turn into dust once Jasper touches it. Gladly, Jasper can kind of turn it and off, otherwise it would hinder him from any physical contact.

"Have the headmasters seen what you can do yet?" I ask him.

"Not yet. Perhaps the next time, I'll put in a request for them to watch. I want to make sure I've got this right first." He replies. We haven't even seen his new 'ability' yet. He doesn't want to be so disappointed, I think, if it doesn't turn out as he expects.

"Be careful," Alice says. He agrees to, and leaves in the opposite direction.

"Is Garrett around?" Rosalie questions. "I could go for some real Mexican food."

Garrett is a fourth year student and shares the dorm with Emmett and Jasper. He's also a teleporter and can visit any place so long as he has a good mental picture of it. We tend to use his gift when we want to leave campus to grab a bite to eat or for other reasons.

Emmett shrugs. "He's probably around here somewhere, but I had wanted to show you all something."

We follow Emmett into the southern courtyard where few people are. Most people are in the cafeteria for lunch. Some of the handful of students that are outside are sitting on benches, others relaxing on the grass.

As we walk towards an empty picnic table, all the males outside turn to see Rosalie, some doing so inconspicuously, others blatantly staring. That happens a lot. Not even Emmett can stop their stares sometimes. Alice, Rose, and I sit atop the picnic table as Emmett rubs his hands together.

"You might want to get a firm hold on the table…" He suggests.

Knowing that injuries can very well result, the three of us settle onto the bench part of the table. I grasp the edge of the table in front of me, and ice crystallizes along the back of my hand, creeping onto my fingers and cementing my hand to the table. I'm not taking any chances falling off of this thing with Emmett.

"No fair," Alice whines as she sees my icy hands.

"Yeah," Rose agrees, "How come Bella gets the easy way out? We have to hold on to the table with all of our might. She just gets to sit here."

"Do you want me to ice _your_ hands to the table?" I laugh.

Emmett picks the table up with one hand, and then shows off with one finger as he balances us at least six feet in the air. "Are you ready?" He asks.

"What exactly am I getting myself into?" Rose ties her hair into a tight bun at the top of her head, wanting to be prepared for whatever Emmett has in mind. However, he enjoys surprises, and I doubt he'll explain much.

"It'll be like a little rollercoaster ride," Emmett provides. He adds his other hand to the table. Em links his fingers in the holes of the black iron. He stands with the table above his head. Rose and Alice grip the table with all their might, as Emmett suddenly zooms up into the air.

"Shit!" Rose screams. She takes a few deep breaths and looks anywhere but down as we hover perhaps one hundred feet over the courtyard. "Emmett, you know I don't do rollercoasters."

"C'mon babe, it'll be fun," He promises.

I look at Alice to my right. "You sure you don't want that ice restraint?" I offer again jokingly.

She shakes her head. "I'd rather fall to my death than freeze."

"Alright then," Emmett says. Out of nowhere, he starts zooming forward, catching a wind to the east. I lurch forward in my seat, my hand rubbing against the ice the wrong way. We're about a hundred feet in the air heading straight for the forest that covers the east side of the campus.

"Shortie, can you handle this?" Emmett yells, without giving Alice a choice to choose otherwise.

"Yeah," She calls back. My hair and the cool wind whip my face, but my hands aren't free to do anything. I know it's even worse for Rosalie because she's riding backwards. She looks like she's ready to scream any moment.

Alice grips the table harder as the line of trees get closer with every second. I brace myself for impact, but it never comes. Alice works her magic, and we're literally zooming in and out of the trees. If it isn't obvious, through touch, Alice can change her atoms and molecular makeup to that of the item she's phasing through. "Hold on tight," Emmett warns. The table quickly tips over and I'm upside down for a split second.

Rose starts screaming, and Alice is using a good deal of concentration to focus and to phase us through the trees. "My shoe!" Rose yells. I watch as one of her flats slides off her foot and plummets toward the ground. Emmett finishes the loop, and we're righted again. Rosalie gives a look to one of the guys sitting on the benches below us. He immediately stands up and runs to retrieve her fallen shoe.

"B, How about a little ice ahead of us?" Emmett suggests.

"On it." Ice forms about ten feet ahead of us as I work to create a ramp that goes down and circles back around. Emmett loosens his grip and flies us over the beginning of the ramp. In a liquid motion, he swings around to sit on the bench on Rosalie's side. The table hits the ramp, and I'm a little worried that the ice will break from our weight, so I fortify it. I form ice skis on the ends of the legs of the table, and we slid down. I add ice where I see fit, and we cruise down the roller coaster of ice.

Alice lets go of the table and raises her hands in the air. Rose's screams of terror turn to glee. We slide to the end of the ice, and lose momentum. I look to Emmett and shake my head. "You are crazy. Be happy I didn't fall."

"Be happy that _I _didn't fall. You would've been dead." Rose warns. Emmett helps her stand.

I break the ice covering my hands, and shake my hands out. What just occurred isn't out of place at our school, so I'm sure no one would think too much of it. Emmett holds the picnic table with his hand, and the four of us return to the courtyard. As soon as we enter the clearing, a guy rushes over to Rosalie. Emmett glares at the guy as he nervously approaches us. "H-here you g-go," He quickly hands her the pink ballet flat that had fallen.

Rose pouts. "All of you all got to demonstrate what you've been working on. I think it should be my turn."

She faces the courtyard before us. At once, every male in the vicinity turns in Rose's direction. I can already see the uncomfortableness in Emmett's body language. He scratches the back of his neck where his curly, dark hair ends. He shifts to one side.

All of the guys at once run over, forming a circle around Rosalie. Not only does Rose have the looks, she also has a little mind control, one of her only limits being that so far it's solely worked on the male gender.

Rosalie focuses her attention on one of the boys. The boy looks to be a first year. He has light blonde hair and dark brown eyes that are transfixed on Rose's figure. As a matter of fact, all of them stare at her in such reverence. After a couple of seconds of her locking eyes with him, he walked to the nearest table, and poured a cup of what looked like a chocolate milkshake all over his head, without any particular emotion. All the other guys surround Emmett, take the picnic table from him, and walk it over to its former place.

The few girls who remain in the area look too intimidated to say or do anything as the boys return from their trance-like state.

"Are they going to remember anything?" I ask Rose.

She shrugs and eyes her manicure. "Probably not." The guy with the milkshake over his head looks around confusingly. He wipes his face off with his jacket sleeve and walks over to a blonde girl. I'd be willing to bet that's his girlfriend. She looks at Rose, but immediately turns away, finding interest in her shoes. We have a bit of a reputation around here. No one messes with us.

"The milkshake thing was hilarious!" Alice laughs as we make our way into the cafeteria. The cafeteria is more of a dinner room in a way. We fill our plates in a side room. All of the tables in this room are adorned with a black tablecloth, and the chairs have soft, red cushions.

Despite the grand look of the room, I'm sure our cafeteria food is about the same as any other school's. It gets a little better for dinnertime, as we have actual chefs come in during the evening. But it's taco day and this is as close to Mexican food as we're going to get. The cafeteria is already kind of full, but our table at the center of the room is never taken.

I take my seat on one side of the circular table, and Alice sits next to me. Emmett and Rose sit across from us. Sometimes Garrett and his friends will join us, not that we particularly mind, but we spot them across the room.

The taco isn't authentic enough, so I add some salsa. It doesn't change it too much though. Nothing beats real tacos from Mexico. Between bites, I ask Rose, "How long can you keep up the mind control?"

Rose cocks her head to the side in thought. "Perhaps fifteen minutes. I'm not sure I've ever timed it."

Emmett shudders. "If no one remembers what you made them do, that has me a little nervous. You've never… used that on me, have you?"

She takes his chin with her index finger, bringing him closer to her. "You are under my spell." She laughs. Emmett rolls his eyes and knocks her hand away.

"I remember when you had to audibly speak commands! Now you're all grown up and messing with men's minds, without saying a word." Alice grabs her napkin and dabs at her eyes. She fans herself, and I try not to but end up cracking a smirk.

I take a swig of my water and look up to see the new kid walking in. Alice is a bit of a gossip, so I turn to her. "Ali, what do you know about the newbie?"

Alice sits up in her seat at the mention of him, her eyes alight with untold secrets. "He's in my physics class. Today we were focusing how our molecular structure can affect our abilities. Dr. Banner used me as an example, right? So, on a molecular level, because my atoms are altered when I phase, I can defy the laws of gravity. I always knew I could levitate. But anyway, he just explained the whole process. So after class, the new guy approached me with all these different questions. It's surprising that Edward is already a third level student."

"Who's Edward?" I ask.

She blinks. "Were you paying any attention?" I really hadn't paid much attention. She had gone on a tangent and lost me. Alice sighs. "Edward is the new guy. This is his first day here, and he's already at a year three level."

"Have the newest class rankings been posted?" I ask.

Emmett replies, "Not yet."

This Edward guy should be a first year student. How did he skip not one year's worth of learning but two? Not even I could do that. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be keeping an eye on him. But what are the chances that he'll be placed in the elemental field? There are only five students in the elemental field out of everyone at the Academy. It's one of the smallest fields, if not _the _smallest.

Rosalie turns around in her chair to get a good look at the new guy. "Which one is he?" She inquires, not hiding her stare at all.

"He's leaving the food line now. Bronze hair, green eyes. He's wearing black." I point out. His wild reddish brown hair almost resembles a flame as he walks, wavering with the wind.

She sets her sights on him. "You're not going to use your power on him, right?" Emmett worries.

"Relax. I don't go around working my charm on just _any_ person." Rose replies. Alice and I exchange glances, and she corrects herself. "Okay well, I don't want the newbie sitting with _us_. Third year student or not, he won't fit in."

I agree with Rose, but Alice is a little more sympathetic toward him. Emmett remains silent. I watch as Edward walks to the nearest table of students. If only one of us had great hearing or something... A guy seated at the table says something to him, and he walks away. He approaches the next table, and Rosalie and I laugh as Jessica Stanley glares at him. She's a second year student with a nasty attitude. Edward moves to take a seat, but suddenly copies of Jessica fill the empty seats of the table. She's another person with the power of duplication. There a few of those people around here, so she's really no one special.

He looks around, determined to not be forced to sit alone on his first day. His eyes lock gazes with mine. "Shit," I mutter, as he makes his way over. I bow my head down, hoping he doesn't see me, but it's too late.

I push away thoughts in relation to the dream. Just because I saw similar green eyes doesn't mean that it's him. It's just a little eerie, and I'm probably paranoid especially after learning that he's advanced so quickly.

"Make him go away or something." I look to Rosalie with hopeful eyes.

Her eyes pass between me and him. "I'm actually curious now. Did you have a little run-in with him already?"

I grip the arms of the chair in my hands. "Send him away now, and we'll talk about this later."

Emmett and Alice share amused looks, and a voice startles me. "Hey, I'm Edward. Mind if I take a seat here?" Three sets of eyes find me, as I look anywhere but the boy beside me. He mistakes my silence, and sits down right next to me. "I met you earlier, right?" He asks me. "I'm sorry. I don't remember your name."

"I never gave you it."

"Forgive Bella. I'd say she's having a day, but she's really always this irritable." Emmett laughs. It's his way of alleviating the awkwardness.

Edward wipes his palms on his jeans in what looks to be apprehension. "Bella? _You're_ the ice girl?"

I'm not surprised that he's already heard of me, or rather that he's been warned of me. Most people keep their distance, for obvious reasons. I don't claim to be the nicest person around here, and I definitely don't show it.

I give him a smirk, one as chilly as my title, and drop the temperature in the cafeteria. The air turns frigid, icicles forming along the lights above. I even add my own personal touch, forming snowflakes in the moist air, one finding purchase among his unruly bronze hair.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

I watch as the flakes of snow melt on his hair, turning his wild locks a dark brown. "So you're an elementalist," He states the obvious. He runs his hand through hair.

"Obviously," I retort. I shouldn't let him affect me so. With a sigh, I stand up and grab my half-eaten taco. I'm not so hungry anymore. "I've got to catch up my mythology work. I'll see you all later." I say. I force myself to walk at a regular pace and not hightail it out of here the first chance I get. He'll probably think I'm crazy or something, and hopefully it'll deter him from sitting here tomorrow.

As I leave, I hear Alice strike up a conversation with Edward, and I know they had only been silent because I didn't want him there.

I dump the food in the trash and place the plate in the chute for the dirty silverware, plates, and the like. The sun is attempting to shine through the thick clouds, but there's still a crisp breeze.

I'm at least fifteen minutes early to my elemental class. It's empty sans me. I take my seat and retrieve my Mythology book out of my bag. The reading is on Hestia, so I suppose flipping to the page early this morning had not been too random. The page had been bookmarked. This goddess isn't as interesting as some of the other Greek gods we've learned about. The only things that stand out are that she was a virgin and goddess of the hearth.

Dr. Carlisle, my elemental mentor, arrives. He's not an elementalist himself. He may be one of the only teachers here, who didn't attend the school at one point, as he didn't realize the development of his power until college. He has power mimicry. Dr. Carlisle is able to reproduce our powers after we use them. He's able to do what we can do for up to around 30 minutes before it wears off. Also, he is a great mentor and pretty personable with us. He's on a first-name basis with all his students.

"Good afternoon, Isabella," He greets. Dr. Carlisle steps over to his desk and takes a seat. "You're here early."

"I needed a place to read," I reply. I slip off my sleek white gloves and place them in my bag.

He nods in understanding. "I see you're still studying diligently. You make me proud to be your mentor."

We share a laugh, and the bell rings. I clear my table, and prepare for class. The elemental room only has six tables and two chairs at each one. There's another room in the back especially for practicing and testing out our powers. It's called the Chamber.

Within a few minutes, the class trickles in. Edward walks in among them. He takes a seat in the last row, the second row. We don't have many students in the class, so we only use the first row. I'm not very surprised to see Edward in here. Whenever there are new students, they have to be analyzed before they're given a rank and a field. Most new students don't come here with a clear field, so they're placed somewhere else until speculation. Since we have the smallest field, it makes sense that he's sent here for the first day.

Dr. Carlisle makes Edward stand in front of us to say a little about himself. He looks a little uncomfortable up there, but he introduces himself to the class. "Hello. Um… my name is Edward Cullen. I'm from Chicago, Illinois. And I guess I hope to learn more about myself and my abilities, and I want to improve."

"Would you like to demonstrate anything?" Dr. Carlisle inquires.

Edward stares at the ground below him, visibly considering it. "No, if that's alright." He finally says. "I'd rather get a feel of things here, first."

"Very well then." Dr. Carlisle stands to take over the class. Edward shuffles past him to walk back to his seat behind us. "Are you familiar with anyone in here yet, or should we do introductions?"

I hide my face with a veil of hair, avoiding any eye contact with Edward or Dr. Carlisle. As it is now, of the three tables that are occupied, I sit at the very end to the left without a desk partner. I can see where this is going.

As I predict, Edward replies, "Bella and I have met… And I believe Benjamin is to be my roommate."

"There's an empty seat next to Bella. Why don't you move to the front?" Dr. Carlisle suggests. He gives Edward a moment to relocate to the seat beside me.

Edward notices the look on my face as I slide my items closer to me. "You want to sit alone," He whispers.

It's a statement, not a question. But I reply, "Yes."

"I can move to the table behind you. It's not a problem. You probably work best alone."

I nod but grimace. "As much as I enjoy my personal space, Dr. Carlisle already instructed you to sit here. For his sake, I'll allow it." Edward would only be here temporarily until his field is determined.

He gives me a weird look but turns away to face Dr. Carlisle. Our mentor picks up where he left off. "This is a small close knit group." He begins to introduce us, "First we have Bella. I'm glad you two are already acquainted, as you'll be together for the partner activities. She has cryokinesis, and she's one of the most hardworking students I know.

"To the right of you is Kate, an electrokinetic. She can absorb, generate, and conduct all forms of electricity." His voice drops to a whisper as he continues. "But, I like her best for her ability to charge my phone within a matter of seconds. That kind of thing comes in handy." He winks at the blonde, and she laughs in return.

Kate's eyes are bluer than mine are. Whereas my eyes are a light blue sometimes light gray depending on the seasons, Kate has striking dark blue eyes. The blue color seems to always be changing from a lighter blue to an electric blue, and I find it similar to lightning in pure form. Kate and I are well-acquainted as she's dating Garrett, the teleporter.

"Everyone in this class, due to their years of study, is at the manifestation level, which is something we're proud to say." Dr. Carlisle steps over to Gianna. "Next is Gianna. As a botanikinetic, she can manifest and manipulate plants." Dr. Carlisle points to the second year who is also seated at the table beside us. She's a curly haired ginger with forest green eyes that are very piercing and calculating. She's probably sixteen. We don't exactly go by age here. Everyone starts out in their first year, except for Edward apparently. Don't mistake Gianna's young looks and plant powers for that of an innocent individual, though. Her favorite weapon is her manifestation of killer vines that not only emit poison, but also are strong enough to wrap around her victim in a choke hold.

Dr. Carlisle moves on to Benjamin. He gives him a small handshake out of respect, and fluently speaks, "As-salam alaykum."

Benjamin responds in Arabic, "Wa alaykum e-salam." Benjamin leans past Kate and Gianna to give Edward what looks to be a reassuring smile.

"Benjamin is one of our Egyptian students. We have many students from all over the world. Volterra Academy has taken them in and allowed them the same opportunity that everyone else has, to have an understanding of their abilities. This is regardless of their nationality or culture. There are a couple other native Egyptians here, along with Chinese, Canadians, Russians, Spanish, Italian,… and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other nationalities. Either way, you'll most likely run into them the longer you stay." Dr. Carlisle explains.

As a matter of fact, Kate is a native Russian. She's been in America for most of her life though. Each student here is required to take at least three different languages throughout his/her studies. I'm not taking one this year. However, I've taken French and Japanese so far.

The fourth year student, Benjamin is fluent in English. Since Dr. Carlisle is well-versed in Egyptian Arabic, at times he'll address him in his native tongue. Whenever he does this, a smile always comes onto Benjamin's face and his dark brown eyes are alight. His bronze skin and short, wavy hair, as dark as midnight, has always seemed to stand out to me. It makes me a little jealous because of my pale skin, and I burn so easily in the sunlight. Suntan lotion is always a must.

He turns his attention back to Benjamin as he speaks to Edward. "Benjamin is skilled in geokinesis. He can create and control most elements derived from earth.

"Last but not least," Dr. Carlisle adds. He gestures to the sixth student. "We have Eleazar from Spain. As a psammokinetic, his power is associated with sand." Eleazar is a more reserved student. He has a light olive skin tone and dark brown cropped hair. I don't know too much about him except that he's a fourth year and had been recruited while in Spain. As a first year student, he had studied English and is now very fluent."

As Dr. Carlisle returns to the front of the room, he gives Edward a warm smile. "So, I'm sure that you'll fit in very well here… We'll be focusing a lot on working together to better understand, not our own, but each other's abilities and limits. It's important-as I'm sure your combat teacher has emphasized- to know your opponent's skills and weaknesses. Being elementalists, all of your powers are so alike and you may find similar constraints. In this way, you can help each other."

I've heard this spiel before, so I'm sure this is only for Edward's benefit. Edward's eyes seem somewhat hopeful as he watches Dr. Carlisle with rapt attention.

The bell rings, signaling the end of class. I'm more than thankful to be able to escape the class at this point. I'm a little beyond annoyed that I've had to associate with the new kid so much. It's not at all how I had expected this day to go.

Something keeps nagging me, a thought that continues to pass through my mind. My mythology class is next, however I feel the need to take a detour.

I enter the room that the ESP field uses as people are filing out of the room. I make my way to the teacher's desk. Madame Scarlett sits atop her desk, watching me closely. Her long, wavy, onyx-colored hair matches her black, flowing dress. It stops above her ankles. The bright red heels she's wearing are the only reference to her name. From what I've heard, she's more of an eccentric mentor, but of course, I've never had her.

"Isabella Swan," She greets. Her dark eyes look over me in an unsettling way. Due to my status in the elemental field, many teachers know of me, however I had a weird sense about how she knew my full name.

"Hello Madame Scarlett," I greet, glancing around the room. The tables are pushed into a half circle in the middle of the room. It is very unlike the layout of the elemental room. My eyes unwillingly revert to the teacher before me.

She continues to stare into my eyes, a look of discernment crosses her face. "You've been having dreams?"

This is the reason that I had decided to come to her, especially after seeing the same green eyes from my nightmare on Edward. However, to hear the clairvoyant voice it was still unnerving. I don't believe Madame Scarlett can actually see the future or get glimpses of anything, she just senses certain things. Maybe it's precognition of some sort.

"Yes," I respond. "More like nightmares, though."

"What is your question, child?" She inquires. Her voice is almost monotone and low.

I phrase my question carefully. "Is it possible that things you see in dreams are able to occur in real life?"

"It's called veridical dreaming, a form of clairvoyance."

I toy with one of my brown curls, as I consider this new information. "Isn't that only for people who possess ESP abilities?"

Madame Scarlett finally looks away as she climbs down from her desk. She walks around to the other side to sit on her chair. Madame Scarlett brings her elbows onto the table and rests her chin on her hands. "Well… not necessarily. Anyone who is deeply in touch with not only the physical side of their abilities, but also the spiritual side can probably tap into a form of veridical dreaming. But of course, since the power is not one that they possess, it isn't something that one would be able to control. It may come before danger or a major event in one's life. Few people without any ESP capabilities can do this, and there is rarely more than one occurrence of it."

This random event of dreaming sounds like what happened. I doubt that I'm tapping into a new power of mine.

"Perhaps it will be more beneficial if you tell me what exactly occurred in the dream," She offers. As a clairvoyant, I would have expected her to be able to tell _me _what I had dreamed. But, I'm so anxious to find out that I don't think much of it. She probably wants to hear me explain it myself.

"Um, there was a dark hallway and-"

"Hallways are associated with new opportunities being opened. It also represents a transitional phase, but paired along with darkness means fear of the unknown. You're afraid of major changes and like things the way they are; however, something big _will _affect you, and it's up to you to decide whether that'll be positively or negatively."

Madame Scarlett pegs my personality perfectly. It's almost a little scary, but I suppose she has to know a lot about dreams. Feeling more confident in her judgment, I continue, "There was a man made of fire, and he reached out to touch me. I was on fire, and the pain was so real. And those green eyes. I'm almost sure of it now. His eyes were the same as the new guy's, Edward Cullen."

A small, knowing smile comes onto her face. The bell rings, and I know I'm late to mythology class. Madame Scarlett lets out a laugh, but it sounds so unused and is more of a cackle. "You may be a little confused as things are blurry now, but it'll all clear up. Fire is a very passionate element, you know. You have to deal carefully with a flame, or else."

I feel like she's speaking in some kind of code. I dislike things that aren't clear or set in stone. Her words can't be any more ambiguous. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just a helpful reminder," She says. "All in due time."

She reaches into her drawer and pulls out a thick, worn leather book. The pages are coming out of the binding, and are tinged with various shades of light brown. Handwriting in gold in is written on the front spelling out 'Dream Book.'

"Give it a read," Madame Scarlett suggests, placing it into my hands. "That book and experience taught me all I know. Use it to help you decipher your dream, or if any others come up. You can bring it back any time."

"Thank you." I hold it carefully in my palms, lest anything happen to it.

"You don't need a pass to class. When you get to the mythology room, just tell Esme that you were with me. Good luck!" She dismisses me. As strange as Madame Scarlett had proved to be, she did have that air of experience.

The only problem is that I feel even more clueless and frustrated now than I did when I arrived. So much for getting the answers to all my questions…

* * *

**A/N: So Bella has ice powers. Jasper has disintegration. Rosalie can control all male minds and has enhanced beauty. The mind control thing doesn't work as well on others with mental abilities. Alice can phase through objects. And Emmett has super strength and flight.**


	3. Who's Unimportant Now?

**Chapter 3.**

**A/N: I'm going to clarify this here. From the elemental people: Kate has electricity related powers, including lightning (that kind of thing). Gianna has plant powers (she can turn into different plants; manifest them; use them as weapons like poison ivy or killer vines and thorns). Benjamin has control over the earth (sand has too many loosely packed particles for him to be able to bend that). Eleazar has sand. They can all generate or manifest their elements. And I think that's about it.**

* * *

At this point, I'm not surprised to see Edward in my mythology class. He's sitting a couple of rows in front of Rosalie. After giving Miss Esme my excuse, I take my seat next to Rose at the back of the class. "Where were you?" Rose whispers.

"I took a detour to class," I reply. I uncover the dream book on my desk.

Her eyes shift to the book. "Dream book?" There's an incredulous undertone to her voice. She rolls her eyes. "Do you really think that'll answer your questions?"

"It's the closest thing I've got," I defend myself.

"You just need some good rest-"

I glare at her. "So I can burn to death again?!" My words aren't as quiet as I was hoping they would be.

Miss Esme eyes us carefully. Her arms are crossed over her soft pink blouse. Her caramel hair is wrapped in a tight bun. "Now if you all are done... Isabella, since you've done your reading and you're taking this time to chit-chat, tell me what you thought about this weekend's reading."

I sit up in my seat. Rose throws me an apologetic look, and she's forgiven. It's not like I could really be mad with Rose. She just doesn't understand what I'm going through. I make my way to the front of the classroom where two podiums are located. I stand up straight behind the podium to the right and make my assertion. "I think purity and virtue in relation to the Greek gods and goddess were overrated." I say.

Rosalie starts clapping, and I fight the urge to laugh. Most of the males in the room applaud as well. I give Rose a look, and she shrugs. Miss Esme regains control of the class. "State your evidence, Ms. Swan."

"Hestia is technically the oldest of the Olympians, as she's the firstborn of the titans, Rhea and Kronos. These gods and goddesses are immortal. How could they remain chaste for so long when there were gods and goddesses like Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite? Isn't corruption from gods of the like possible?" I have no idea where I'm headed with this as I had not been prepared to discuss my feelings on the least important Olympian. "Okay, aside from that obvious observation, there was hardly anything on Hestia in our books. There are little myths about her. Is she even one of the twelve Olympians? In my standpoint, there was little mentioned because she's unimportant."

I step down from the podium to walk back to my seat when I see a hand raised. My eyes find Edward's. He is _not_ going to do what I think he's about to do. I glare at him, but he remains unperturbed. _Back down._ Miss Esme notices his hand. "Yes?"

"Uh, can I object that accusation?" He questions. "I don't really know how this class works."

Miss Esme smiles at me, clearing enjoying this. "You certainly can. Join Bella on the platform." With a sigh, I turn back around and stand behind the right podium. He makes his way to the left. Mythology class doesn't always involve debates of this sort, but whenever we have a reading, we are expected to be able to share our observations or conclusions with the class. If someone has a different take on it, it leads to a debate.

"You have the floor, Mr. Cullen." Miss Esme says.

This isn't the shy, nervous Edward I've seen most of the day. He now looks determined as he leans forward coolly onto the podium. "You said that Hestia was unimportant. That's not true at all. As goddess of the hearth, she has a chiefly responsibility to tend to the fire in Olympus. Not only was this important to this godly city, but it also had a big impact on Greece itself. This fire that Hestia provided was important for food and warmth. Also, she was given the first sacrifice. Would this be given to just any insignificant goddess?"

I am taken aback by the passion in his rebuttal and the reverence hidden there. The awe doesn't last long. I turn to Miss Esme. "He didn't even do any reading! This is his first day in class."

She smiles at our new student. "And may I give you a personal welcome to our mythology class. I was in need an eager student like you. Someone so interested in Greek mythology. Bella, if you have anything to say, you may continue."

I gather my thoughts, finding little to argue on, I sigh. "I rest my case. Hestia is an unimportant deity."

"If she was so unimportant, why did every home have an altar to her? _She _received much of the people's prayers. And regardless of whether or not Hestia is an important figure, the hearth is. Fire represents warmth, and she was a warm and loving goddess. So I rest _my _case. Although little mentioned in Greek mythology, Hestia has proved to be one of the greatest Olympians." Edward concludes. Immediately, the class begins cheering, even Miss Esme joins in.

As soon as I sit in my seat, I turn to Rose. "Don't say a word."

She raises her hands in her defense, and she speaks anyway. "You raised some good points. I mean, that first part about the virginity thing was great. You know I wouldn't have made that kind of pact of purity. Edward was on a roll, though."

I face the front, waiting for the bell to ring. I'm ready to leave this class. This is one of the most stressful days I've had to deal with. I look up and my gaze meets Edward's jade green eyes. He's turned around in his chair, watching me. The chatter and noise in the room is loud. Without speaking, he attempts to convey something to me. An apology? Well, it isn't accepted. The only thing I need from Edward is for him to stay out of my way.

* * *

By the time Rosalie and I get back to the dorm, I'm ready to relax. But Alice has other plans. We find her on the couch reading a magazine advertising restaurants in the Los Angeles area. We live in a city, Inverness, Illinois, perhaps forty-five minutes outside of Chicago. Inverness is a wealthier district, and it's a quiet area. From what I know, all three of the headmasters come from old money. The property sits on a little under thirty acres of land. This includes the main building, two dormitories, and a building with the adults' housing along with the headmasters' offices and library. A forest covers the southeastern perimeter. The academy also owns a good portion of a lake that borders the south side. There's ample amount of space to get some privacy if need be. Also with only between fifty to sixty students, there's more than enough area to practice and train asides from the training rooms.

"What you need," Alice says, "is a shopping spree." She walks through the sofa and to where we are to show us the magazine. "There's this great restaurant, La Botte Ristorante. The reviews for this Italian place are amazing, and it's right in the heart of Los Angeles where all the shops are. How's that sound?"

"How soon can we go?" Rose asks, putting on her beige sweater. She was all for the plan as soon as shopping was mentioned.

Ali smiles and tucks her phone into her pocket. "I already called Garrett. We're going to meet outside of the girls' dorm."

"But I was planning on time to relax before I have to work on my studies for tomorrow. And I have nothing to wear." I say.

My statement receives a roll of the eyes from Alice. She walks through the back wall of the living room and into her room. She reappears with a pair of her floral printed Doc Martens. "Wear these, and borrow Rose's pink blouse and black miniskirt."

Rosalie pouts. "Hey! That's my favorite blouse."

"You'll get it by the end of the night," Alice promises. She taps on her watch to show that time is ticking away.

I shake my head in disagreement. "It's early November. Why would I be wearing a skirt in this weather?"

"You can brave the cold, and L.A. isn't anywhere as windy as Chicago. You'll be fine." She pushes me into Rosalie's room to get ready.

When the three of us finally get to the main floor of the dormitory, Kate and Garrett are waiting under one of the oak trees. They face us, and Kate waves as we approach them. The cool breeze makes me question whether or not it was a good idea to wear a skirt, but I had added a pair of stockings, so hopefully I'll be alright.

"You all sure took a long time," Garrett says. His dark brown hair is swept to the side because of the wind, and he and Kate look bundled in comparison to my clothes.

Alice corrects him. "_They_ took forever to return from class."

Garrett cracks his knuckles. "So where are we headed?"

"Los Angeles," Rose responds. "We'll do a little shopping, and then we wanted to try out this restaurant we found."

"Sounds good," He replies. Alice hands him the magazine with the pictures of the restaurant, inside and outside. After a few moments of looking over each of the pictures, he sticks it in his pocket. "Alright, I think I'm ready."

We gather in a circle and hold hands. Soon, I do not see the familiar green of our campus. A car whirs by, and the sounds of city life fill the air. The five of us are all here. People are busy walking up and down the sidewalk. I turn around to see the building front behind us. The huge neon sign reading, _La Botte Ristorante, _adorns the black edifice of the restaurant.

"Thanks, Garrett," I say.

He nods. Kate checks her watch. "It's one o'clock here. Let's meet back up at the restaurant for dinner at six."

We agree to return to the Italian restaurant. Kate and Garrett walk in one direction, while we go in the other. Alice, Rose, and I cross the street at an intersection. Shops and restaurants line both sides of the two-lane street. Palm trees dot the middle of the street. The wind blows, making the exotic trees bend in our direction. I nestle into the warm scarf adorning my neck.

"Oh look," Rosalie says, eyeing a man walking in the opposite direction of us. "The perfect target."

"What makes you think so?" Alice inquires. She feels the breeze too and ties her hair into a tight ponytail to prevent it from blowing in the wind.

Rose points to the device in his hand. "See that? That phone just came out last week, and it's one of the most expensive ones on the market. His clothes are all designer wear, and all one brand at that. Most people mix brands. But he took care when it came to dressing. It's an obvious indication that he has money."

I roll my eyes at Rose's judgment, but I know she's right. "See any ATM machines? I think we need to make a withdrawal." I smirk.

Alice's eyes sweep across both sides of the street. "There's one up ahead at the corner." She points to the blue and white machine at the next block.

The man immediately turns around and begins walking in the direction we're going in. By the time we reach the unnamed stranger, he's finishing at the ATM. He stuffs his designer wallet into his pocket and hands Rosalie the cash. The man then walks in his previous direction to wherever he was headed. "$400... I think that'll cover the expenses from shopping, don't you?" Rose flashes a smile.

"And I brought the remaining $100 from the last few times," I say. I place my hands into my jacket pockets, feeling the small wallet there. "That'll cover us. And I'm sure Kate and Garrett have cash, so that will take care of them."

Alice sighs. Her eyes remain on a far off sight before us. "I think I feel a little guilty."

"Why?" I question.

"Relax, Alice," Rose says. "He had plenty more in the bank. The guy won't even realize it's gone... Now, we came to L.A. to have fun. Let's do it!"

* * *

The five of us are seated at _La Botte Ristorante_. Alice, Rose, and I have a ton of shopping bags, evidence of the perfect outing. Kate and Garrett had gone sightseeing during our shopping time. As I figured, they have money for themselves.

The waiter brings the food. The steak and potatoes are amazing, and the only sound heard while the food is being devoured is the clanging of forks against plates. _La Botte Ristorante _has an upscale feeling, although the prices are reasonable. The food surprisingly tops Volterra's. Our dorm at home includes a kitchen, which we barely use. We don't have the kind of money to be spending on that kind of thing when meals are offered at the academy. However, while we had been out, the three of us bought a few of our favorite snack foods, mine being Oreos.

"So, have you looked at that dream book, yet?" Rosalie asks.

"Not yet," I reply. I dab at my mouth with a napkin before resuming. "I was planning on it, but I didn't get a chance to."

Alice's curiosity is piqued. "What dream book?"

I explain, "I visited the ESP mentor after elemental class for help on interpreting my dream."

"You've been having _dreams_?" This comes from Garrett. He wears a questioning look on his face, no doubt wondering what we are talking about.

I shift in my seat and rub my wrist uncomfortably. It's not exactly something I want to discuss with Garrett. Kate senses my discomfort. She changes the subject hoping to put me at ease. "Oh Bella, elemental class was interesting today. What did you think of Edward?"

Her words do the exact opposite. The very subject I have successfully been able to place into the back of my mind is now flooding my thoughts._ What _did _I think of Edward?_ I'll definitely be watching him. If he is able to skip two years of work at the academy, surely he's different. At the very least, he's attuned with his power, whatever it may be. And although his appearance in the final two classes was unsettling, I know that his presence in the elemental class will be temporary. He'll probably get assigned once he does a little training, or when the next assembly is held. Until then, I could deal with him there. As far as lunch is concerned, I'm putting an end to him sitting at our table. He should be happy that we didn't turn his ass down like the others had done today. My pity for the new kid only goes so far.

Instead of telling that all to Kate, I respond, "He's... okay."

Alice explodes. "Oh come on. Bella, you hate him. It was all over your face today at lunch."

With a fork, I move around the only potato chunk left on my plate. "I didn't realize my thoughts were so vocal."

"Well, you sure as hell don't wear a mask." Garrett retorts.

I scowl at him, only proving their point further. "As long as the new kid stays out of my way, we won't have a problem."

"But he's alright once you get to know him." Alice expresses, unafraid to be different. I know Rosalie shares my viewpoint, as she always does. "It turns out that he's in our Lit class as well. Edward wasn't there this morning because some things had to be finalized, but he'll be there tomorrow. He's in one of my other classes, and we talked. His gift is awesome too-"

I put my hand up to silence her. "I don't really want to hear about it, Alice. Can you just drop it?"

Her eyes focus on the plate before her. I know I upset her, and I'm always doing everything wrong. I just don't know what to say to assuage anything, so this time, I remain quiet.

"So..." Kate says after a few moments of silence. "I'm looking forward to building constructs in Elemental, what about you?"

I nod, and the conversation flows from there, the four of them actively conversing. I keep out of the conversation, finding myself busy with my own thoughts that keep gnawing at me. The sooner I get some answers to my questions the better.

* * *

**A/N: Our Bella is still clueless as to Edward's abilities, although I think it's pretty obvious to everyone else. I'll try to update every couple of weeks, but I don't have a set schedule.**

**Fic Rec: _A Compendium of Thoughts _by _ItIsRaining:_  
**

**This gem of a story is so simple yet beautifully written. It's fairly short, featuring an Edward who is struck with a serious illness, and a Bella who takes it upon herself to be his caretaker. Such a sweet romance story that is sure to elicit tears, and it's based on a true story.**


	4. If the Shoe Fits

**Chapter 4.**

* * *

The week passes by faster than I thought I would. It's already Friday evening. Rosalie, Alice, and I have been invited to the guys' dormitory for a party being thrown for the new kid. It's kind of a tradition for a party to be held in honor of Volterra's new addition in whichever dorm they live in. Usually their dorm-mates are in charge of planning the event. So for Edward, Benjamin had coordinated everything single-handedly. I think Benjamin used to have another roommate, but he left the school last year. It's not every day that we get new recruits, and since Benjamin was the only guy living by himself, Edward was sent there.

I'm slipping on my silver heels when I hear Alice call out, "Bella, we're leaving!"

"Wait!" I yell, trying to shove my size 8 feet into Alice's smaller sized shoes. I hop around the room until I take a seat at the edge of my bed to properly put on the shoe. "I'm coming!"

Alice pulls Rose into my room, appearing through the mirror against the wall. _Weird. _It looks as if they literally are stepping out of the mirror. "Alice, they invented doors for a reason," I tell her for the umpteenth time.

"But they weren't thinking of me at the time they were invented," She counters.

Rosalie looks at me dubiously. "You're coming with us?"

I gesture to the strapless white and silver party dress I'm wearing. "I'm not wearing this for nothing. Whether the party's for Edward or not, a party is a party. And I'm going." Finally, I'm able to stuff my foot into the shoe.

"This won't do. Give me those." Alice directs and points to her shoes.

I give Alice a weird look as I comply. It takes a couple of good pulls to remove the shoe that is on my foot. "What do you expect me to wear, Alice? My closet is very limited when it comes to this sort of thing."

Her eyes widen as an idea pops into her mind. "You're pretty good with constructs."

"No." I flat-out reply.

"You know," Rose casually says. "Alice has a point. Design the perfect shoe for you to wear. You're good at this kind of thing."

"I've never done anything so detailed," I reply, but they're not accepting 'no' for an answer. With a sigh, I think of a visual in my mind. Beginning with something simple, ice crystallizes onto my feet. I add more, forming a solid shape of a heel. I lean back onto my bed, lifting my foot from the floor. I've done constructs before, but nothing so elaborate, and not forming it around myself like this. The ice lengthens to form a definite heel of at least two inches. I solidify it further before making the heels taller. Once satisfied with my design, I loosen the bonds of the ice from my feet. I use my hand to slowly pull at my delicate creation, and the shoe slips off of one foot. I do the same to the other. Rose and Alice watch in wonder as I add density to the ice so that it won't break under my weight. Ice forms at the tip of my index finger. It resembles an icicle, and the tip is at a sharp point. I painstakingly add swirls similar to the swirls of silver on my white dress. Once I finish, I step into the shoes. I make a couple of modifications here and there, like making the ice more slender, and then I'm done.

Alice commands me to spin around so she can give me a once over. After I pass her test, Alice smiles. "It's so beautiful, Bells."

I take the brush off of my bed and brush my curls, making them lengthier and wavier. "Thanks," I reply.

"I'm considering making a pun about how you're having cold feet, but I'm kind of jealous of those heels right now." Rose pouts. "I don't know how you do it."

"We've stalled too long. Jasper and Emmett are waiting, so we should probably leave out." Alice checks her watch.

The main floor of the guys' dormitory is redecorated for this event. I'm pretty sure almost all the students of Volterra are here, as welcoming parties are open invitations. Alice and Rosalie head in one direction, probably to find the guys. I walk towards the drinks table. It's against one of the walls and gives a good scope of the area. There's lemonade, punch, and sodas set out on the table. I reach for the ladle and pour myself some punch. I turn so that my back is facing the drinks, as my eyes peruse the area. I see Garrett and his group in one direction, and my friends not too far away, minus Alice. She's nowhere to be seen.

I continue to scan the crowd of people until my eyes land on Edward from across the room. I feel my heart racing at the sight of seeing him there, and I don't like it at all. He's standing among a crowd of people, telling some animated story. I can hear his listeners laughing from here. I turn around to pour myself more punch from the punch bowl.

I bring the red solo cup to my lips, taking a sip. When I look down, I see a pair of hands protruding from my chest and reaching for the ladle. I jump, almost spilling my drink all over my dress. "Alice," I growl.

She pulls her hands back. "What? I wanted some punch, and you were in the way. There was no need to move you."

"Personal space," I remind her.

"Yeah, yeah." Alice waves it off. "I didn't think you'd freak out about it."

"An extra pair of arms looked like it was attached to my body. Of course I'm going to freak out."

I step aside to allow Alice space to get her drink. She walks to where I stand. The contrast in our dresses is so much more evident when we stand side by side. Her black dress is embellished by gold designs. I remember her getting the dress on one of our outings. "Why are you sitting here alone? Everyone's over there." She points to the direction of the group.

I'll admit it. There are times when I feel like the fifth wheel with them. I sigh. "I had wanted to give you two some privacy with your boyfriends."

"Screw that. Let's go." Alice pulls me with her as we head to the group. "Excuse me!" Alice calls out as we phase through the crowd of people standing in the way.

We reach the back of the room where our friends and pool table are located. "Alice, you can't just phase through people. It creeps them out." I tell her.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm sure they've seen creepier. After all, they _do _go to Volterra."

Emmett, Jasper, Garrett, and Benjamin are playing a game of pool, two on each team. When Emmett sees me approach, he drops the pool stick. "Bella!" Em pulls me in for a bone crushing hug. "I thought you chickened out. I didn't think you'd be here."

"Why wouldn't I come?" I ask.

His eyes glance over to where Edward is. "No reason..."

I greet everyone standing around, watching the pool game. I walk over to my cousin, and he slings an arm around me. "You look nice, cous'."

With a small smile, I reply, "Thanks, Jazz."

Jasper takes a step back, leaning down to get a better look at my shoes. "Is that ice?"

I nod, and he calls Emmett over to take a look for himself. They're impressed with my handiwork, as is Kate. She approaches me as soon as the game continues. She's flanked by Tia, Benjamin's girlfriend. "Is that an ice construct? Those are some pretty detailed heels." Tia asks in amazement.

"Yes," I respond. "It didn't take too long to make."

Kate sighs. "I wish I could do something like that. I doubt my electricity constructs work like that. I'm still having trouble creating constructs with electricity. It's like trying to find a way to manipulate pure energy."

Creating items out of ice had always come easy to me, but I imagine that it must be frustrating for Kate. The three of us discuss the things we've been learning in Elemental. Tia is eager to hear all about it, as Benjamin has most likely spoken to her regarding some of it.

"I'm tired of learning _about_ my powers. It's the third year." I complain. Now, the three of us are seated in a few chairs against the wall, facing the game. "When are we going to actually apply all of this?"

I don't notice our new presence until his voice speaks. "Our gifts are very powerful. Without taking the time to understand the nature of it, how can we master it?" I look up to see Eleazar standing to the right of me. He's dressed in dark clothes and is resting against the wall.

I exhale and grip my empty cup a little tighter. "We've been taking close combat lessons all of these years, and I understand the value of that. We may not always have our powers at our disposal, but I'd like to try something new in elemental class." I sullenly eye the empty cup in my hands. "I'll be back."

As I'm making my way over to the drinks table again, my eyes avert to Edward. He's talking to a group of girls, but his eyes keep darting around, remaining unfocused. It's almost as if he's searching for something. Regardless, I pour myself some punch, but I notice that the red liquid inside the bowl is now at room temperature from having been sitting out. I place my hands at the bottom of the bowl for a few seconds, and it returns to a refrigerated temperature.

"Haven't seen you around all night," A familiar voice says.

I turn to see Edward standing before me in a black, buttoned, long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans. The first couple of buttons his shirt are undone, and I happen to notice it.

"I've... been around," I respond.

He scratches the back of his head, searching for something to say. "Are parties at Volterra always like this? So loud and lively?" Edward gestures to the 'DJ' across the room. I recognize the girl DJing as one of the people with sound related abilities.

"Usually." My reply is curt and concise. I'm still having trouble believing that he's standing before me right now. On Wednesday, when he came to sit at our table at lunch, I had to be the one to tell him that he wasn't welcome at the table. I would've thought it had been obvious by the way I acted the previous day. Maybe he's just dense. Either way, he brushed it off as if it wasn't a big deal, and sat with Benjamin, Garrett, and their crew.

As much as I want to deny it, that was unnerving. He shouldn't have been so accepting and nonchalant about it. And when we went to Elemental afterward, he had stricken up a conversation as if the previous altercation did not exist. Edward Cullen continues to be a mystery to me. After all of that, I would have thought that he'd get the message. I don't want to be bothered by him.

Rosalie walks up to the two of us. She looks from Edward to me inquisitively. "Bella, Alice and I are going to head back to our dorm. I guess we'll see you later?"

"I won't be long behind you all," I tell her, and she walks away.

Edward eyes my ice shoes with what almost looks like awe. He catches me looking, and his green eyes revert to mine. "Dr. Carlisle says that we will be assigned a short project next week." Edward says.

"I'm aware."

"Do you think it'll have anything to do with actually being able to utilize our powers?" He asks. His eyes are hopeful.

"I doubt it'll involve us using _our _powers, since yours still remains an enigma to us all. Are you really just too shy to show us what you got, or do you even have any _real _powers to show?" I laugh dryly.

He wears a puzzled look on his face. "What are you talking about?"

I roll my eyes. I want to get past this. He can't keep playing innocence and ignorance for too long. "You were only placed in my Elemental class until you were assigned a real field. Don't you get it? This is only temporary... And I'm sure whatever got you into this school, your '_ability'_, isn't all that powerful anyway."

"You don't think that I'm good enough to be the elemental field?"

"All I'm saying is that it takes a lot more than simply understanding your power to actually be in the elemental field. Sure you were miraculously able to skip two years of hard work here. That doesn't mean a thing though." I retort. I'm hoping that this will be the end of the conversation with him, but as always, he has something more to say.

"I _know _hard work. That's what I've been doing all my life." Edward shakes his head at me almost condescendingly. "You don't know a thing about me. And to be fair, I hardly know you either. I'm not one to judge. But from what I have seen and heard of you, it seems like due to your status and field, you think you're better than the rest of us."

For some reason, those words hit home. And at this point, I have to restrain myself from attacking him for what he says. I opt for the next best thing. I reach behind me to pick up a cup of punch. The liquid freezes and hardens into a perfect cyclinder of ice in the cup. "That's not fully true. I don't necessarily think I'm better than others. I only take pride in myself and the work that I've done. No hard feelings though, right?" My lips raise into a smirk. "Drink?" I offer the cup of frozen punch to him.

Edward takes it without looking, until his hands touch the cup. There's a small look of suprise at the temperature and the frozen drink inside. He nods, "Thanks. Although, I don't too much care for cold drinks."

I shrug. "Oh," I reply with an innocent tone to my voice.

He walks away, holding the cup in his hand. Two things happen at once. The frozen fruit punch is no longer frozen. Now it's bubbling and I can see the steam from where I stand. And Edward Cullen's wearing a smug grin on his face because he knows I'm watching.

Fuck._ How did I not realize it? _Not only is he an elemental as well, he's a pyro.

* * *

**A/N: And now Bella knows. I enjoyed that exchange between the two of them. There'll be more ExB interaction to come!**


	5. Playing with Fire

**Chapter 5.**

**A/N: I really enjoy reading the reviews from you all, especially the guest ones. So here's a big thank you!**

* * *

I storm into the dorm room to find Alice reading a book on the couch and Rosalie sitting at the kitchen counter. I had left the party as soon as I had found out that_ tiny_, little detail about him.

"What's up with you?" Rosalie asks, reading the expression on my face.

I don't even try to mask the anger and frustration that is visibly evident. "Why didn't you all tell me Edward was a pyro?!"

Alice shrugs and sits up from her position on the sofa. "We thought you knew."

With carefulness, I remove both frozen shoes from my feet so that I won't inadvertently mess them up. I open the sliding doors leading to the balcony. I place them on the floor of the balcony so that they won't melt so quickly. The temperature outside hasn't reached chilling degrees, but it's better than keeping the shoes in my closet for a puddle to appear. Doing this also gives me a moment to calm down.

When I step back into the room, I'm much calmer but I'm still worried. "This isn't good."

"Maybe he's not that great with fire yet." Alice suggests.

I pace back and forth across the rug. "Alice, he's already a year three student, what's the chances of that?"

She responds, "I'm only throwing out ideas."

"If you believe that was really Edward in your dream," Rose begins, her mind putting two and two together, "then the fire in your dream makes sense, right?"

My eyes widen. "The dream book!" I hadn't had a chance to read it before now. And now was as good a time as any. Rosalie is on to something, and I'm almost positive that she's right.

The dream book rests on my desk in my room. I sit down on the chair and carefully open it. All of the pages are handwritten, and it looks almost like a journal of a clairvoyant or dreamer. The first page reads:

_Strange spectacles of the mind are dreams. Why do they occur? Is the mind attempting to speak out to us? Perchance events of the past, fears, goals, or perchance something becoming more steadily common in my dreams- what _will _happen. For this I am completely graveled. Yes, a strange occurrence is dreams._

_Be it what it would, this secret-this secret of dreams is becoming like a fire shut up in my bones. But alas, I cannot tell a soul for fear they think me to be off my rocker. Only grandsire has an inkling of what is happening, and that is on his own inference._

_Am I alone? For aught I know, there may be others. At length, hopefully, someone of benefit will find this journal, and they will know- unlike how I feel- that they are not by themselves._

_-The Dreamteller_

I try to pinpoint how long ago this had been written. Based on the language here, I'd say this isn't from anytime our century. The date of the first journal entry confirms it. This journal dates back to the late 19th century. I skim through the pages of journal entries until something catches my eyes. Towards the end of the book, he writes a list of things he's seen in his dreams and what he makes of them to mean.

The word, 'fire' is written in all capital letters to the right of the page. There are few words associated with fire. The Dreamteller writes that it may suggest that something old is passing and something new is beginning. It continues, "_Upon every exigency that fire has thus encircled two people, something deep is entrenched. There is a shared bond between the two. The two share something significant in common._"

I immediately close the book. My heart is pounding, and I will myself to slow it. After a few deliberate deep breaths, my breathing is no longer erratic. Although, my mind is all over the place.

Once I'm sure that I have everything in check, I step out of my room to see Rosalie and Alice sitting on the couch speaking in hushed whispers. The moment they see me, they quiet their talking and watch me carefully from the sitting area. I walk to the refrigerator to pour myself some water. I know that they are worried about me.

Alice voices it. "So you consulted the dream book?"

I nod. "I read through it."

"Did you find what you were looking for? Anything on your dream?" Rosalie asks.

I pour water into the small glass. With a shaky hand, I pick up the glass. It becomes colder in my hand. I turn on the sink's faucet and run my hand through the water. The water solidifies in my hand, and I shape it into a few ice cubes. I still my nerves and place the ice in my glass of water. I turn to face the girls. "No. The book only had journal entries of his own dreams, nothing in there pertaining to my dream."

I'm not sure whether my lie sounds convincing, but Rose buys it. Alice looks a little more skeptical though.

The very idea that Edward and I share a bond of any form is too ridiculous for me to even fathom. So, like I tend to do, I keep my thoughts to myself. Part of me wonders why I even told Alice and Rosalie about the dream. I don't want them to worry, and that's just what they're doing. I suppose it's better to keep most things to myself.

I stand awkwardly in the kitchen. "I think I'm going to head to bed now," I tell them. Goodnight's are exchanged.

When I renter my room, I shut the door behind me. I open the closest window, leaving it halfway open before I settle into my bed. It takes an hour of tossing and turning before I finally drift off into slumber.

* * *

I make it to the ESP room before I go to my Elemental class. It's on the way, and I need to return the dream book. I haven't opened it since that time last week. I kept trying to coax myself to look up more information while I had the book in my possession, but I just couldn't do it.

There's a note on Madame Scarlett's door saying that the class is meeting in the western courtyard today. I try the door, and it's unlocked. No one is in the room, and I'm hoping to make this fast. Everything in the room is switched around, and I have the feeling that this happens often. Instead of Madame Scarlett's desk being across from the door, now it's placed at the back of the room. Desks are in a random order, facing different directions. The room looks a little chaotic.

I walk around the desks to the back of the room. I contemplate placing the book on the bookshelf nearby, but I figure that it's best to place the dream book in the drawer of her desk, as that's where it was before.

I try three of the drawers of her desk to find that they're locked. Only one of the drawers is unlocked, the middle drawer. It's empty, and I place the book in it. I close the drawer and choose to walk around the perimeter of the desks instead of weaving in between them.

Red catches my eye, and I notice an easel nearby. A painting sits on the easel, and I approach it curiously. It's a depiction of what looks like the forest that borders southern courtyard. I see the familiar white marking on one of the trees the rightmost part of the picture. That white is only used on the the trees of that forest to create a path.

But, that's not the only thing that stands out. The entire forest is on fire. Fire the colors of yellow, orange, and red consume the trees. Smoke looms over the forest. It's horrible. In the forefront of the image, I'm even more disturbed. A girl looking eerily similar to me is pulling someone away from the flames by their arms. I stare at the mahogany brown hair and know that that _is _me in the picture. If that doesn't convince me, the light blue jacket I'm wearing in the painting does. I have the exact same one in my closet that Rose bought me last Christmas.

I run my finger over the person who's being pulled away from the flames. The copper hair is a dead give away. It's Edward. And for some reason, I'm pulling him away from the fire.

I turn the easel away from me and hasten out of the room. I know this scene depicted may very well happen. Since the painting is in the ESP room, it's not difficult to believe that it's a painting of the future. It makes sense to assume that Edward is the cause of the forest fire. He _is _a pyro, after all.

However, why isn't he doing anything about the fire? The only conclusion that I can come to is that he _can't _do anything about it. He can't control his powers.

I enter the elemental room with seconds to spare before the bell rings. I take my seat next to Edward. I'm determined to keep an eye on him. Anyone who can't control their abilities, especially one like fire is dangerous.

Dr. Carlisle begins class, and Edward nods in acknowledgment of my presence, as he's not able to say anything. On the board behind Dr. Carlisle is a list of all six of our powers. "Your gifts are all so similar," He says. "And I feel that it's necessary not only to learn about yourself and your own powers but others as well. Sometimes you may be put into a team situation. It's good to be familiar with each other and to know your strengths and weaknesses. So we'll have a project of sorts. You're seated with one another purposely, as they will be your partners for this."

I sigh, already dreading this assignment. Edward offers a small smile, but I don't return it. The next hour passes quickly as I'm consumed by my thoughts. By 'weaknesses', perhaps I can confirm that Edward has trouble controlling his gift. Good luck to him trying to figure out any of my weaknesses or limitations. There's no way I'm telling him any of that. I have to keep him at a distance, yet still complete this assignment. It'll be difficult but not impossible.

The next bell rings and I walk out of the room to find Alice and Rosalie waiting for me. "You returned the book?" Rose asks.

I nod, and we begin walking in the direction of our mythology class. "How was elemental?" Alice inquires.

"It was... okay. I got partnered with Edward for a project." I shake my head. "I really don't want to do this with him."

Alice puts a hand on my arm. "Play nice, and it'll be over faster."

"At least you'll have something nice to look at," Rose says. "I mean, have you seen him?" She fans herself lightly with her hand. "What I wouldn't do to get into his head."

"Why haven't you tried anything?" Alice asks curiously.

"I have morals," she counters. "I wouldn't use mind control on just anyone."

I roll my eyes at her. "Sure."

We stop walking, as we approach the next intersecting hallway. This is Alice's turn, as we don't share the same mythology class. "I guess we'll see you back at the dorms?" I ask Alice.

"No," She replies. "Rose and I will be at the guys' dorm tonight. So by the time you get home, I probably won't be there."

We branch off, Alice going to the right, and Rose and I heading to the left. "Bella, wait up!" A voice yells. Edward is walking to catch up with us. Rosalie gives me a look and says that she'll see me in mythology before heading on. I wait for Edward. "So we'll be presenting this project tomorrow," He says. "It doesn't really give us much time. So where do you want to work on this later?"

I take into consideration Alice's words of playing nice and decide that it'll be best for the both of us if I'm on my 'best behavior'. I force a small smile. "Maybe we can meet up in the southern courtyard later this evening to work on the assignment."

"This evening?" He questions, looking a little nervous. "Isn't it supposed to snow tonight?"

"Yeah... why?" I ask. He just stares at me, as if expecting me to already understand. It clicks. "Oh! You don't _do _the cold, do you?"

He shakes his head. "Not particularly."

"Um." I scratch my head, trying to come up with a new idea. "Would you rather meet up at my dorm? My roommates won't be home anyway."

"I'd... like that." Edward replies.

"Okay then," I say, and we walk in a comfortable silence to our next class.

* * *

Tonight is the first snowfall of the season. Snow is coming a little early to Inverness, Illinois. It usually doesn't snow until the end of November, but the temperature is dropping at a fast rate. I'm sitting in the armchair beside the window in the sitting area.

I've been waiting for Edward to show up for the past twenty minutes. I had done the thoughtful thing and made hot chocolate and smores for us, especially since he'd be coming in from the cold. However, I doubt the food and drinks are still so hot.

I pull aside the curtains to get a good view of outside. Of course, I could easily just make it snow, but where's the fun in that? The first snowfall of the cold season is always one of my favorite times of the year. It's dark outside although it's only 7 pm.

There's a knock on the door. I open the door to reveal a very bundled Edward. He's wearing a pair of boots and at least three different jackets. A burgundy scarf is wrapped around his neck a few times along with a hat that covers his ears. I fail to hide my smirk as he steps inside. I close the door behind him. "Sorry for my lateness." He apologizes. "I got a little turned around in the girls' dorm. It's set up differently from the guys'."

"Yeah," I agree. I tug on the end of his scarf. "Why are you so bundled up?"

He shivers, still probably feeling the effects of the cold. I hadn't bothered to turn on the heat, as I felt comfortable. Maybe I should've been more accommodating. "It's freezing out there."

Edward's face looks flushed. My hand moves toward his face, and I hesitate. Cautiously, I bring both hands up to remove his hat. I'm careful to avoid touching his skin. His eyes regard me curiously, and he almost looks disappointed when I pull away. "Um, I made smores and hot chocolate since I figured you'd be a little... cool after being out there. But I'm not sure they're so hot anymore." I gesture to the cups of hot chocolate and plate of smores that rests on the kitchen counter.

"Not a problem," Edward replies. He walks over and picks up the plate and one of the cups. "Where do you want this?"

"In the living room," I respond. He follows me into the sitting area, and I sit on the floor in front of the coffee table. He sits the items on the table before me and goes back to get his mug.

I peer into the cup of hot cocoa. It's now steaming hot and smells rich. I reach for one of the smores.

"Careful," Edward says as he returns. "The plate is hot."

He takes the spot on the other side of the table. I shift in my position, feeling a little uncomfortable. I stare at the plate and back at my folded hands on my lap. "Thanks." I bite my lip and look up to see him staring at me again with the bemused expression on his face. "So where do we begin?"

"Crytokinesis... that's the full word for it, right?" He asks, referring to my ability.

"Yes." I reply.

He nods. "Cryto... It doesn't have the same ring as pyro. But it's alright, I suppose." He takes a bite out of one of the smores. His eyes close in delight. "This is amazing! How'd you get the ingredients for this?"

"Garrett. He's a teleporter, so whenever we need something, he'll take us to get it. We went grocery shopping a couple of days ago." It feels weird talking about this kind of thing, but it's a good starting point if we're supposed to be getting to 'know' each other.

"I didn't know that you knew Garrett."

"Yeah," I say. "He shares a dorm with Emmett and Jasper."

"Oh. Garrett's pretty cool." Edward traces the rim of mug of hot chocolate with the tip of his little finger. "We could go back and forth with questions." He suggests.

I agree. "Okay."

"I'll start with something simple... When'd you discover your abilities?" Edward inquires.

It's an innocent question, one that you're expected to answer here. It's a typical question of someone from the academy. Everyone wants to know how you found out about your powers and how the meeting with Aro went when you were recruited. I just don't like talking about my years before the academy. I shrug and try to play it off as something unimportant. "I found out I was... special when I was a kid. I was maybe five or six."

He waits for more information, but it doesn't come. Instead, I ask, "What about you?"

"When I burned down the whole school a few years ago." Edward replies coolly. A trace of a smirk is worn on his face. He chuckles. "My parents were contemplating a divorce. I was an emotionally unstable fifteen year old, and I couldn't deal with all of that. I went to school one day in particular, and until then I had been able to keep it all to myself, all of the feelings and emotions. But I just couldn't hold it in anymore. All of those... feelings turned into anger. And that trigger something in me, I guess.

"I remember sitting at my desk alone in the classroom. I was angry and suddenly it got harder to breathe. Fire came out from my hands, and I don't think I realized that the desk was on fire until a minute or so later. I had my head on the desk and my eyes were closed while I tried to calm down. By the time I looked around, I think I was a little too scared that half of the classroom was on fire for me to realize that I _wasn't_."

His story is a hell of a lot better than mine. "Did everyone make it out okay?" I ask.

There's a slight pause before he nods. "It's a miracle that they did, but somebody had pulled the alarm when they realized there was a fire. Everyone evacuated the building. I walked out of there too along with them. No one suspected anything. No one probably knew I was in that room." Edward closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He shakes his head as if he's still in disbelief. "There was not a single burn or my body. My clothes weren't even scorched."

"What did they think was the cause of the fire?"

"My dad's a lawyer. He got involved with what was going on to make sure no one was suspicious."

"Suspicious that you started a fire with your bare hands?" I question. I take a sip of the hot chocolate.

Edward clarifies, "Suspicious that I didn't start the fire on purpose. For instance, if I were to take a lighter and set something ablaze inside the school, I was fifteen. Legally, I could have been tried for that."

I try not to sound too interested when I ask my next question. "Your dad believed you... when you told him that you started the fire like that?"

He reaches over laying his hand on top of mine. I automatically recoil, drawing my hand closer to myself. Edward laughs lowly. "With a temperature like mine, how could he not? I think he already knew something was different about me."

"Oh," I say.

"Aro came to ask me to join the academy the day after that." He continues.

"They asked you _twice _to join the academy?" I inquire. Then, I ask a better question. "Why'd you turn the offer down the first time?"

"That was something entirely new to me, being able to manipulate fire. I couldn't always manifest it, could you? Manifest ice, I mean."

I shrug. "Within a week, I was able to."

He nods as if he had expected me to say that. "Fire was something really hard for me to get control of. I couldn't manifest it, so I kept a lighter in my pocket for a while. Although I couldn't manifest it after that first time, I was able to manipulate it. I couldn't start it, but once I had a fire, I could do whatever I wanted with it. But anyway, Aro asked me to come to the school, and I felt like if I went away, my parents would split, for sure. So, I declined his offer."

I don't understand it. He didn't know that he'd be offered another opportunity at the school. So, why would he turn it down for his parents' sake? "Did you... get control of it?"

"For the most part, during that time. After learning to manipulate, it became easier to extinguish it. I had to teach myself a lot of what I know. I didn't learn how to manifest it until maybe almost two years after that. But enough about me... what about you? How were you recruited?"

I take a bite of my smore before speaking. "Headmaster Aro came with James to recruit Jasper. I was at his house when they came. They asked him to come to the academy. He told them that he'd only go if I was able to come too. I don't think Aro was expecting there to be another ideal recruit there." I've never exactly trusted James. I think he's selective in what he tells Aro. At least, that's my theory. I never got a good vibe from him. I continue, "So, Aro told me to show them what I could do. I gave it my best. There was no way Jasper was going to go without me. Not only is he my cousin, but he's also my best friend and all I had at the time. I had to make sure I was accepted."

I feel like I spoke too much, but Edward probably doesn't realize a small detail that I let slip. "I didn't know you all were cousins," He says.

"Yeah." I reply. "He's older by a year though."

"How old are you?" Edward inquires.

I respond, "17. What about you?"

"18." That makes him the same age as Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. Alice and I are the only seventeen year old's. "How did your parents react to it?"

I stare at a spot on the floor. My voice drops an octave. "My mom is dead. She died during childbirth."

His response is automatic and expected. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine," I tell him. "It's not like I knew her or anything. So, what are you asking about how my dad reacted?"

"How did he respond to you leaving home... or at the very least finding out you had some special abilities?"

I scratch the back of my head uncomfortably. We're branching into uncharted territory. I barely speak to Alice and Rose about my father. This assignment is supposed to be related to our abilities not our secrets. I choose my words carefully. "I think that he was maybe in denial about what I could do. But, I think that he's finally happy now."

He stays silent either thinking about my words or expecting me to share more. "Care to elaborate?" He asks, so I suppose it's the latter, or perhaps both.

I sigh, hoping he won't press. I'm trying my hardest to remain civil to Edward. "Not really." I reply, taking the opportunity to change the conversation. "Oh, did your parents ever get a divorce?"

"No. That's why I think I made the right decision at the time. Because I stayed home... I think it gave them a reason, reminded them why they had to reconcile."

I nod. "And how'd they take it?"

"They were thrilled." A faint smile comes to his face. _If only it were always that easy._

"That's... nice," I say.

"Yeah. Do you like it here at the academy?"

I twirl a lock of my brown hair. "It's better than Washington."

I think he can sense that I'm not directly answering all of his questions. But he just throws another one at me, as if he knows I'm uncomfortable with the onslaught of inquiries. "Is that where you're from?" He takes a sip from his mug.

"Yes. Forks Washington. And you?"

He gives me a half curious, half amused look. "Is this all you've got? You're bouncing off of my questions. Give me some original ones. I'll answer anything you ask." His jade green eyes seem to almost smirk as well. "I promise I don't bite."

"But you do burn," I retort. With a more serious face, I consider any possible questions I can ask. "Um... favorite color?"

"Red. And to answer your previous question, I'm from Chicago, so my home isn't far away."

"Mine is a light blue," I tell him.

Edward pauses before asking the next question. He looks unsure as he deliberates. He stirs the hot chocolate with his spoon. "I hope you don't mind my asking," He says, "but what's your average temperature? Mine runs higher than normal so I figured..."

I scoff. "Normal?"

His fingers drum across the surface of the table. "Well, normal as in what most... humans run at."

"Oh. I'm usually at 95°."

He laughs softly and shakes his head at whatever idea is going through his mind. "I'm 101°."

"Huge difference there," I point out.

Edward inquires, "What are you when you're running a fever?"

"98°..." I reply cautiously, feeling a small sense of deja vu.

"Oh, that's a normal temperature by human standards. You'd feel fine to me." He says nonchalantly. I run a hand through the tresses of my hair. The conversation becoming too much for me. It's bringing back painfully repressed memories. I can't stop the recollection from running through my mind.

_-Flashback-_

_I grab a tissue from the pink floral printed box and blow my nose with a huge sneeze. This is the third box in two days. "Daddy, I don't feel well," I walk into the room where he works._

_He looks at me and then looks back at his computer. "I already gave you medicine."_

"_But Daddy-"_

_He runs a hand through his short, brown and gray hair. He says he's got gray hair 'cause he works a bunch. Daddy closes the computer, and I know he's not happy. "Isabella, grab your book bag. It's time for school."_

_I don't want to go to kindergarten. And Ms. White says that we should sleep when we're sick. How am I gonna sleep if I'm at school? "But I'm sick, Daddy."_

"_The medicine just hasn't kicked in yet. Give it thirty minutes." He takes his keys. "Let's go."_

_I pout. "Take my temp'ature, please. Ms. White says I may have a fever."_

_Daddy sighs and makes his way to the drawer to get it. He comes back over and gives it to me before walking away. I put the thermometer in my mouth and watch him. He looks at his watch and back at me. He's ready to leave._

_The thing beeps and he checks it. "98°. You're normal." He puts his hand on my forehead. "You feel fine. Now let's go."_

"_But Daddy-"_

_He has a mean look on his face. "Now."_

_I quickly grab my bag and go to the car. When he sees the look on my face, he doesn't look so mad anymore. Then he gets in the car and turns to make sure I'm strapped in. The mean look is back._

_-End Flashback-_

"I would _feel _fine." I tell Edward. "But I wouldn't be fine. Flues are the worst for me. Gladly, I don't really get them anymore."

"You think _your_ flues are bad?" He laughs. "I always get colds in the wintertime, every year. The colds are off and on throughout the whole season. I'm a mess during the winter."

"How were you able to survive in Chicago?" I find myself laughing along with him, happy for a lighter topic.

"Summer months. It gets pretty warm. And I love the wind. I just don't like the coldness that comes with it."

I look out the window of the sliding glass doors. "Oh look!" I run to the door. I give the door a pull to open it and step out onto the balcony. "The snow started. I didn't even notice." I look over the railings of the balcony. A blanket of snow already covers the cool ground.

I glance over at Edward. He looks uncertainly from me to his position at the doors. Slowly, he makes his way over to where I am. "It's cold."

"That comes with the snow." I respond.

He joins me and rests his elbows on the railing, before retracting them at the coldness. Edward looks down at the snow and then back at me in wonder. "But it's also kind of beautiful."

I hide my blush as I turn away. I have the feeling we aren't just talking about the snow. I lean over the railing and draw a figure in the air with my index finger. The snow below us moves to form the shape of a snow angel, what I had drawn with my fingers.

Edward watches me in curiosity. "You have quite a talent there."

My eyes stare at the snow angel, as I return the compliment warily. "So do you."

He shakes his head. "I only destroy things."

I feel uncomfortable as I search for the right words to say. "I could do the same. Ice. Freezing... That could be used for badness instead of goodness. But we aren't using our... gifts for wrongdoing."

His body shivers. I take off my scarf and wrap it around his neck. "Thanks," he replies. "Should I be heading home now? Is there a curfew?"

I shrug. "One is supposedly in place, not that anyone abides by it."

"Well, classes are in the morning. So, I should probably head back anyway. Thanks for having me over."

I nod. "No problem. It was very... informative."

Edward moves closer to me against the railing. Our eyes meet and he leans in toward me. I fight against the instinct to pull away, and he gently presses his lips to my cheek, surprising me. He pulls back, satisfied. He wears a crooked grin. "So I'll see you tomorrow?" He says, backing toward the doors.

"Yeah," I reply, my voice a whisper. He sees himself out as I remain on the balcony. And I can still feel his warm lips on my skin.

* * *

**I liked the sweet moment there at the end. This was an interesting chapter to write, with Edward's past and all. And there will be more flashbacks as to Bella's childhood as well. It wasn't exactly a happy one.**


	6. Flame On!

**Chapter 6.**

**A/N: Keep in mind while reading this chapter that Bella isn't the nicest person, and she's pretty concerned about losing her title as number one in the elemental field. She doesn't deal well with competition. That being said, Edward gets to show off his skills in this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Today is Friday. Instead of combat class after elemental, we have an assembly. Jasper, amongst others, will be showcasing their skills in hopes of advancing a level. Most people are denied promotion, when the three headmasters post the field ranks after the assemblies.

The six of us are sitting in Elemental. Dr. Carlisle wants me to begin presentations from the project I did with Edward. I walk up to the computer on his desk and type in 'Pyrokinetic- Edward Cullen.'

It appears on the screen before us. I take the portable screen from his desk. As I type on the screen it shows up on the board. I stand at the front of the room. "So," I begin. "Who is this mysterious student, Edward Cullen? Only a week or two here and he's already so well-known. So, who's this pyro?"

I type the word 'uncontrollable' on the screen. "Uncontrollable," I say. "This word can be used to describe not only Edward but fire in general. He said it himself. He hardly has any control over his power. Fire is a difficult element and hard to manage."

Dr. Carlisle interrupts me. "Bella, let's keep this focused on positive things not slanderous speech."

"You said for us to know each other's limitations as well. So that's what I did." I pause, expecting him to say something else, but he doesn't. I add the word 'fire'. "That is his character, who he is. Now... here are a few things within his abilities." I type 'fire manipulation', 'High regular temperature', and 'fire manifestation.' I glance at the board behind me. "I think that covers it," I conclude.

I take my seat beside Edward. He gives me a nod before standing up to present. His face is blank as he walks. Under my information, Edward types my name. He adds the words 'strongly opinionated'. "Bella is strongly opinionated," He begins. "This mindset can be very useful though. It's easier for a mind-reader to control a more willing and easily persuaded person."

The next word surprises me. 'Loyal'. Edward glances at me briefly to see my reaction before launching into his explanation. "Bella didn't have to tell me this yesterday. I could tell by her actions. Even though she may appear to be cold and uncaring. She isn't. Bella keeps her emotions to herself for the most part... maybe as a protection?"

His eyes fleetingly look away, knowing that I'm irritated. "She may try to hide it, how she really feels. But at least to those that know her well enough, she's fiercely loyal."

I stare down at my hands in front of me. _How does he know this? Is he really that observant?_

"Moving on to the basics. Ice and snow manipulation and manifestation. And she has a good handle on what she can do. She's extremely motivated as well. An ideal student, I'm sure. Getting to know her has really opened my eyes." Edward concludes.

I'm still mulling over his words while the others present. The class ends too quickly. "Next week we'll focus on blasts." Dr. Carlisle promises.

As I'm placing a few papers in my notebook, Edward speaks. "So, last night... That was fun," He says. I make my way to the door, and he's walking by my side. "When do you think we could hang out again?"

I turn around and stare at in part confusion and part irritation. _Why is he so damn persistent?_ "You really don't get it do you?" I ask. "I'm number one in the elemental field for a reason. I don't let anything stop me from completing my assignments. And that's all this was, a grade for Elemental."

Edward narrows his eyes at me in incredulity. "So you feigned everything last night? The laughs, the moments? And here I thought you actually had a heart. But everyone's right." He shakes his head almost in pity. "You _are _an ice bitch."

My eyes widen as he walks away in the opposite direction. So, he truly believed all those things he said about me... until now. I had figured that he was just trying to get a grade as well and thought kindness was the best ploy. I stare at his retreating figure. I'm not expecting the small pang in my heart. I can still feel the sting of his words and his warm lips on my cheek.

A low whistle sounds from my left. I turn to see Emmett standing there with a hand in his pocket. He scratches his head uncomfortably. _Had he seen all of that?_ "He's wrong, you know," Emmett says. Of course he saw what had happened.

His words don't console me like they should. "Apparently, everyone else believes it." I sigh. And I know there's a bit of truth in Edward's words. It affects me more than it should.

Emmett wraps an arm around my shoulder, and we walk toward the assembly room. "Fuck everyone else, B. It's not like we've given a shit before." He smirks. "What makes this Cullen guy so different?"

That's a good question. He _shouldn't _have this effect on me. I won't let him affect me, or at least show it.

We walk into the noisy assembly room. It sits in the center of the building. With its high ceilings and spacious area, it makes for the perfect room to showcase our abilities before the three headmasters. One of the walls of the room holds a set of bleachers. Across the room from the bleachers is a small platform with a table atop it. Three chairs sit at the table. To the right of the headmasters' platform are six black chairs. One chair for each of the five hopeful people who want to get promoted to a higher level. And then there's Edward, the only unranked person in here.

I meet his eyes, and he responds with a cold look. I deserve that, I suppose. Emmett and I make our way to the bleachers where Alice and Rose wait. Jasper is already seated beside Edward in the chairs across the gym.

"Don't you just love assembly days?" Alice laughs. "It's so exciting!"

I sit beside Alice. Rosalie and Emmett sit on the level above us. "Has anyone seen Jasper's new-found ability?" Rose inquires.

Emmett shakes his head, and not even Alice knows. I offer, "All he told me is that whatever he's trying is pretty risky."

A few minutes pass, and people file in. The first few bleachers are filled, and mostly everyone is here. One by one, the three headmasters enter. The three of them range from mid to late 30's. First is Headmaster Aro. He's the main one in charge. The oldest headmaster walks with an air of confidence. His dark brown eyes look ahead to the chair before him as if it is a throne. His dark brown hair is tied back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Aro has enhanced memory. And that's one of the main reasons that he and James go on recruits. He has every bit of information that he's experienced from important details to minuscule ones.

Behind him is the youngest, Headmaster Caius. He's the only one with a semblance of a smile upon his face. He's the most personable out of all of them, though like the other two headmasters, he typically remains out of the students' affairs. His shoulder length blonde hair is free of its usual hair tie. His bright green eyes roam the bleachers of students. The green orbs land upon me briefly before continuing. For someone so light and young looking, he's very experienced with his talent of power negation. We've seen it in action a few times before.

Lastly is Headmaster Marcus. He and Caius are brothers, and he's the quietest out of the three of them. He looks like he's brooding as they walk to the platform. Headmaster Marcus keeps his gray eyes on his younger brother in front of him. His dark clothes reflects the somber mood he's usually in.

The three take their seats before us all. I notice the teachers and mentors filing in and filling the top rows of the bleachers. Headmaster Aro's eyes gleam with anticipation as he folds his hands on the blood red table before him. The youngest headmaster sits back in his seat, watching us all as if it is a game of some sort. Whereas his brother, Headmaster Marcus is leaned forward. His elbow rests on the table, and his chin is perched on his hand. He stares at the table before him in what appears to be boredom.

No one knows for sure what Headmaster Marcus' ability is. We haven't seen it, or maybe there hasn't been a _reason_ for him to use it. Either way, rumors have circulated for years on the revelation of his powers, ranging from some sort of manifestation to shadow creeping. Not that I believe any of this, as these are only rumors.

The last of the teachers sit, and Aro begins. "Each one of these students before us has worked hard, hoping to be advanced a level. These assemblies are held to promote the progression of our students' skills. So without further ado, let's begin!"

The people around us burst into applause. I glance at Alice out of the corner of my eyes. She's leaning back, her arm resting on the bleacher above us. Rosalie wears a bored look on her face, and I'm sure I appear the same. I'm only clapping after Jasper's performance. _What's the point of clapping for everyone?_ Besides Jasper and possibly Edward, the rest of the people on the floor are fillers. Fillers rarely advance. I'm expecting Edward to be a three. He wields fire. Everyone in elemental is at least a four, mainly because of the years of experience we've had. He's only been here a week or so and doesn't have much control over his abilities. He'll be a three, and a four would be pushing it for a person with little control.

The first up is Bree, a second year. Her name is projected holographically into the air above us. She looks nervous as she approaches the center of the floor. Bree keeps her eyes trained on the linoleum tiles. She's small for her age, and she's visibly shaking as she stands in front of us. She has her back turned to the judges for whatever reason. Maybe she's too shy. That's a weakness.

Bree closes her eyes, and suddenly she's no longer there. I'm guessing her thing is invisibility. The projection above us has a timer. It's only forty-seven seconds before her cloaking malfunctions. She's no longer in the center of the floor. She appears, disappears, and appears in a different spot across the gym. Bree looks a little surprised that all of our eyes are focused on her. She glances down at her visible body and looks dejected. By the time she makes it back to her seat, tears are streaming down her face. With a look of disdain, Headmaster Aro waves his hand, signaling the next person to go.

Emmett sighs. "If invisibility is her thing, she should be able to hold her power for a longer time period."

"And at that," Rosalie adds with a shake of her head, "She should be able to cloak other objects without having to physically touch them by now. Hasn't she at least been here for two years?"

I look around the assembly room, and my eyes fall upon James. He's leaning against the wall to the right of us. His hands are in his pockets, and he's regarding Bree with curiosity. _What's he up to?_

The next person is a shape-shifter, and the gangly teen can only shift into a small green lizard. Headmaster Caius makes a small face of disgust, and Headmaster Aro waves his hand again.

Two more fillers disappoint the crowd, and then it's Jasper's turn. As his name is transmitted into the air, Emmett makes his way to the supply room. He brings out a five ton weight. Em places it on the floor and adds a couple of tables to the display. Alice leans forward in anticipation, and Emmett returns.

We all watch in curiosity as Jasper walks to the center of the room. He removes his gloves and places them in his pocket. Jasper runs a hand over one of the tables, and he walks to the end of the it. He touches the table lightly with his index finger and within a few seconds, all that's left of the table is a scattered pile of dust. He does the same to the next table in less than a second. Jasper moves to the two ton weight. His fingers hover over it, lightly grazing the cube-shaped weight. The weight begins to smoke and after five seconds, it too is a mound of ashes.

All of these are things I've seen Jasper do before with his disintegration. I realize that he's putting on a show, and he's leading up to the main event. He takes a step away from the dust at his feet. I see him visibly take a deep breath. He's facing the headmasters before us. And suddenly he's no longer there. Only an accumulation of ashes remains where he once stood.

The four of us share a mixed look of confusion and worry. Alice sits at the edge of her seat, biting her fingernails. I'm not as worried. I know Jasper knows what he's doing. The risk is still high though. We're all holding our breaths, watching in expectation.

Suddenly, the ash begins to move, forming the body of a person. The act happens so fast that if you weren't staring, you would've missed it. And now Jasper stands before us, having reintegrated. Alice starts the applause, and the whole room follows suit. Headmaster Marcus watches Jasper with regard as Jasper walks back to his seat. The other two headmasters share a look and begin writing notes on the paper sitting on the table before them. That's a good sign.

Aro signals for the final person to walk to the center. It's Edward. He disappears into the supply room and comes out wheeling three practice dummies to the middle of the floor. He places them in a random order and makes another trip to the supply room, this time to bring out a cart full of dummies. He lines them up along the length of the room on the side of the headmasters.

Once he's finished, he faces the three headmasters. "Um, so my name is Edward Cullen." He says, as if his name isn't projected for all to see. I share a look with Rose, and we roll our eyes. No one introduces themselves. We just walk up there and perform. He continues, "I'm new here, and I'm a pyro... I suppose that's it. So, I should probably start now."

He glances from the headmasters to the crowd behind him. The looks on the headmasters' faces are unreadable. Edward takes a few steps back and starts charging for the first dummy. His hands glow with bright fire at the tips of his fingers. A blast of fire shoots out from his fingertips engulfing the dummy in flames. Two sharp whooshes are heard as he does rapid fire. With the dummies behind him, Edward continues running. The flares reach out, licking his fingers. They extinguish themselves. Then before our very eyes, he himself bursts into flames. It engulfs him at first, and then he _is _fire, like the exact same fire figure from my dream. Edward leaps onto the first dummy in the line of training dummies before the judges. He leaps nimbly from dummy to dummy. Each one immediately blazing with flames. When he reaches the end of the line, he shoots three sharp blasts of fire into the air before him, each one reaching at least twenty feet.

Then Edward is himself again. It's unexpected to him too as he seems prepared to run the show all night. Headmaster Caius nods for Edward to take a seat. He must have used his power negation to cancel Edward's power.

A person on the lowest bench of the bleachers works to contain the smoke that's billowing upward. And Edward brings both of his hands up and shakes them once. All of the flames go out in a loud whoosh. The crowd immediately erupts into clapping, rivaling any applause I've witnessed to date. Everyone stands and claps, even Alice and Emmett join in. Rose slowly applauds him from her seat.

I realize that my mouth is hanging open. I quickly close it and cross my arms over my chest. Immediately, my gaze turns to the headmasters. They look at him in approval as he returns to his seat. Even Headmaster Marcus participates in the conversation between the three of the headmasters. They exit the room to make their final decisions.

Jasper stands up to fist bump Edward as I sit, musing to myself. That little display of Edward's was definitely not one that belonged to a person of little control. But if he knew that I called him out on not being able to control his power, why didn't he stand up for himself or prove that he was right? It doesn't add up very well.

My body tenses, and I'm more than worried as I contemplate what the ranks may look like now. Edward is at least a four, no doubt about it. And even I know I'm being lenient with that number.

The chattering goes on around me for at least ten minutes before we are dismissed. Jasper meets us halfway out of the room. We all congratulate him on his new ability— self-disintegration. I give him a small hug, but I think he knows I'm not fully present. My body is on autopilot as I make my way to the class list that is posted on the wall outside of the assembly room.

Mostly everyone is noisy and crowding around the list for Elemental in excitement. I have to wait to be able to see what the paper reads. It confirms my very fears. Not only is Edward a level five, he's also number one in the elemental field.

* * *

**A/N: Flame. Flame. Flame. Flame on! So Bella's no longer number one in her field, courtesy of Edward. You may hate Bella now, but I promise, she does a good job of redeeming herself... later on.**


	7. Four Weeks Probation, No Trial

**Chapter 7.**

**A/N: Because I've been having quite a few people ask me, I'm just going to state this here: I probably read too many X-Men comics. I was reading one of my old comic books when the idea for this story kind of popped into my mind. Personally, I believe Marvel has the best superheroes. But before I go off on a tangent (because I could), I'm going to end this right here.**

* * *

It kills me to see my name beside the number two. This has never happened before in all of my years at Volterra. I stare at the list until I can finally accept that it's reality, and this whole thing actually happened. So many thoughts run through my mind. I'm obviously not good enough. I need to train more. I _have _been getting soft on my training. I guess up until now I had no reason to fear anything. Oh how I completely underestimated Edward Cullen...

"Bella," Alice says, snapping me out of my thoughts. "We're going back to the dorms to celebrate. Are you in?"

"What?" I ask.

"I'm a level five now. I got the promotion." Jasper explains. He eyes me dubiously at my behavior. He glances at the new list for Elemental and sees why I'm acting this way. "I'm sorry, Bells. I had no idea."

I shrug. "I'm fine, and congratulations."

Emmett and Rose join us. Em has this wide smile on his face. "Damn! Did you see that?! Edward was all flame, flame, flame!" He makes little hand movements and then mimics an explosion. "And then he went all flame on! That was epic!"

I try to offer a weak smile but it comes out a grimace. Rosalie moves past Emmett to peruse the Elemental class list. "Number two?!'" She exclaims, tearing the paper from the wall. Emmett takes a look it over her shoulder.

"Can we take this to the dorms?" Alice gestures to our group.

They agree to head back home, but I decline the offer. "I've got somewhere to be," I tell them.

I leave the lobby area in front of the assembly room and turn down the second hallway to the right. The lights are off down this hallway except for a couple of emergency exit signs that light the walkway with a dim red. I opt for the stairs instead of the elevator. I walk down three flights of stairs before I reach the solid metal door. Surprisingly, it's unlocked.

My hand reaches for the light switch that I know to be nearby. The basement is engulfed with light. At the end of the hallway to my left is the simulation room. It always remains unlocked and deadbolted. I think there's also an alarm in place for if any of us get any ideas about breaking in anyway. To my immediate right is a large supply closet. After that are a series of doors leading to the different training rooms and a separate hallway that leads to the medical wing.

If I'm going to reclaim my title as best in the elemental field, I've got a lot of work to do. A thermostat rests on the wall beside one of the training rooms. I turn the temperature up to 99° and grab a row of dummies from the supply room. I wheel them into the room and set one up before me. I take a box of matches from the supply room.

I'm beginning to feel the effects of the temperature change, and I shrug out of my warm sweater, leaving me in a plain white camisole and a pair of jeans. I light the match and hold it to the dummy. It takes two tries for it to finally light on fire. The fire licks at the beige material, and a section of the beige turns black and the fire begins to die out.

I take another match to the dummy, and the flames begin to spread. I let the fire consume the dummy before I make my move. I envision that it's Edward before me in his fire form. I had noticed that he fire wasn't surrounding him, he _was_ fire.

My eyes narrow at the fire. I extend my hand towards the dummy. The fire dies out as the ice continues to form along the dummy.

I pull my hair into a high bun. Ice forms over my fingernails forming ice extensions at least a foot long. They're shape to a point. The ice becomes denser. I walk to the opposite side of the room. I take a deep breath and take off running.

I build up a sweat as my feet propel me forward. My hand comes up as I approach the dummy. All it takes is one clean swipe. The dummy is cut four times at an angle. Each piece slides down and falls to the ground before me. The ice breaks from my nails and hits the ground as well.

I run my hands down the length of my body, changing the sweat to ice. I form the ice into shards in my hand, each one sharpened to a deadly point. I throw the icicles at one of the dummies. Every icicle lands on the head of the dummy, and the ice forms a nice circle. With a sigh of determination, I immerse myself into my training.

* * *

By the third day, I've replaced the dummies with punching bags. Not only do I need to work on my ice powers, but physical and combat training are also imperative. I've been training religiously for the past few days. I'm determined to get back on top.

I construct a glove of ice and land a punch on the large black bag. The ice shatters around my fist upon impact. The shards cut into my skin causing blood to surface at the cuts. I cradle the hurt hand to my chest. I mentally steel myself and form the ice boxing gloves once more, this time making them the densest, hardest ice I've constructed.

Then, I begin to punch the heavy bag continuously until the pain becomes number with each pound. I concentrate on the feel and coldness of the ice around my hands instead of the pain. I end up absorbing a lot of the shock from the punches in my hands. Once I'm satisfied, I remove the ice. My hand is bloody. I take a roll of bandages and wrap my hands up to my wrists. I put a hand on the punching bag. Ice covers the bag.

I take a deep breath and focus. I envision a snowy evening. Snow blankets the ground and there's ice. A person made of ice. I direct my attention to that blurry figure, hoping that it'll become clearer. I let out a sneeze. I can actually feel my body temperature lowering. I maintain that focus. Suddenly, that ice figure continues to get even blurrier instead of becoming lucid.

_No._ The veins on my forehead become more prominent. _No. No. No! _I had been so close. So fucking close. In frustration, My fist connects with the punching bag in an overhand punch. I don't even notice the pain that results.

My fists make continuous jabs at the ice as I train myself beyond what we've learned in combat class. Laurent would be proud. I remove the bag of ice from the hook attached to the ceiling. It's heavy, but I'm able to carry it with one hand and move it out of the way.

Soon, my hands tire, and I shake my wrists out. I construct a new punching bag of ice hanging from the barren hook. I move a few steps back and take a running lead. I jump two feet before the bag, turning my hip over to bend my knee, landing a sharp roundhouse kick. The ice instantly shatters, and shards go everywhere. My left leg is cut in many places, and a few shards manage to nick me in my arm. One particular ice shard came at such an angle that the part of the one inch fragment wedged itself into my upper left arm just below the shoulder. My fingers find the piece. I wince and hold my breath as I give it a pull. I find the end coated in blood. The metallic smell of the dark liquid reaches my nostrils. The sliver slips out of my fingers and falls the floor.

I go to pick it up, when I notice scattered dust before me on top of the many bits and pieces of ice. I stand back up as Jasper materializes before me with a rag. I take it from him and wipe the dark red blood that's seeping down my arm. I then use it to place pressure on the wound. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" He asks innocently.

"Reintegrate in front of me like that. You could've scared me."

Jasper's gray eyes scope the floor below him. He takes a step closer to me, and his boot crunches the fragments of ice. "Looks like you can handle yourself though."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Why are you here?"

"Why are _you _here? It's 2 am. You should be in bed sleeping."

I look down at the ground before reluctantly meeting his eyes. "I can't sleep."

He moves to envelop me in his arms. I smell his familiar scent and know it's as close to home as I'll ever get. "I haven't seen you around in a few days since..."

"You saw me earlier. Twice. Literature and combat practice."

"You need food." Jasper sighs, taking my hand and pulling me towards the door.

Spikes of ice form around his hold, pricking his hand. "Shit," He glares at me. Jasper sticks his knuckle in his mouth to prevent the blood from flowing. "What happened to your hands?" He scans my face and sees the bloodstain on the back of my left leg. I haven't stopped it from bleeding yet.

I place my hands behind my back so that he can no longer see my bandaged palms. "I've been spending a lot of time down here."

"No shit." He mutters. "When's the last time you've eaten? And don't lie to me because I know you weren't at lunch today nor with Garrett, and you never showed up for dinner. I took a look at the list of people who signed up for training this week. Tell me why you signed up for every available slot, and you're _still _in here from earlier."

I grab the next punching bag, but Jasper snatches it out of my hands. He gives me a look that says '_We need to talk_'. With a sigh, I tell him, "I need to train."

"No. You _need _to eat. Now let's go." He pulls my hand again. "Garrett's waiting. We can either do this the easy way or the hard way." His gray eyes gaze at my hand, as if daring me to try something again. "I could easily break down your molecular structure, and force you to go with us, since you wouldn't be present to make any of your own decisions. And we'd have to hope that I collected all of the pieces or else your reconstructure could get a little nasty. Now which is it?"

I twist out of his hold and stand my ground. "I'll go on my own."

I grudgingly walk with him out of the training room and into the hallway where the sudden light blinds my eyes. Kate is standing next to Garrett with a flashlight in her hands. She gives it to Garrett and it immediately goes out. "We couldn't find the light switch for the hallway, but we did manage to trip over this dead flashlight." Kate says. "I gave it a little battery power and we were able to find which training room you were in."

Garrett averts his eyes from me. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes. You all go on without me." He phases out of the room.

Jasper keeps a hand on the small of my back as if he's afraid that I'll try something. Kate's eyes seem strained, but she does her best to make small talk on our way up the elevator. I reward her questions with answers because I know she's trying.

By the time we make it out of the school building, Garrett is waiting with Angela, a healer. She gasps at the sight of me but nevertheless forces a smile to her face. "Hello Bella," She greets with a timid smile.

Angela and I never crossed paths too much, but I know the level four second year from things I've heard about her. The consensus is that this healer is one of the most genuine people around here. I believe that. She wears black glasses and her dark hair is thrown over her shoulder. She's still in her pajamas, so I know that Garrett probably woke her up to get her to come.

I give a small wave. She approaches me, looking unsure. "May I?" Angela asks as her hands move closer to mine.

I nod, and she unwraps the bandages, letting them fall to the ground. She covers my hands with hers, and after a few seconds, she releases them. They look better than they did even better I started training. Soft and smooth now. Her healing fingers brush across my face. The bruises return to normal and the scratches fade. She leads me to the nearest bench so I can sit down. She rolls up my left pants leg and works her magic, ceasing the blood flow as soon as her fingers touch the cuts. Angela finishes and moves on to my arm and gives a small smile.

She places a hand flat against where my heart is. It stays there for at least ten seconds. The beating of my heart returns to normal and as each second passes, I feel myself gaining more energy. "Thank you," I say.

"No problem." She replies.

"Do you need help getting back to your dorm?" Garrett steps over, ready to be of assistance.

"I don't mind walking back," Angela insists. Without another word, she takes off in the direction of the girls' dormitory.

"I brought a change of clothes for you." Kate hands them to me. "Maybe you could change before we leave?"

I do as she says and return after changing to the group. They're waiting on me. "So where to?" Kate inquires, placing her hand inside of Garrett's.

They turn to me. I shrug. "I'm not really in the mood for anything in particular."

"I'm thinking Asia," Kate says. "I'm in the mood for Chinese. Remember that little restaurant in Beijing? Xiao Wang Fu?"

Garrett nods. I grasp hold his other hand, and Jasper takes mine. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I open my eyes to a completely different scenery. It's light outside and looks to be mid-afternoon. We walk into the restaurant. It's a good thing that Kate speaks Chinese well. She may not be fluent, but I believe she knows enough to get around.

We take our seats and Kate reads aloud the menu, translating it into English. I settle for some beef dish, and we wait for the food to arrive.

"So Bella..." Garrett says. "How's training coming along?"

"It could be moving faster." I reply coolly, throwing a glare at Jasper.

Kate's expression gives way to worry. "Dr. Carlisle says that we should be careful not to overexert ourselves."

"I'm just fine."

Jasper shakes his head. "What is it that you're trying to accomplish?"

"I need to regain my spot." I sigh.

He nods as if he knows that's what it really boils down to. "You wont be first in everything, Bells. Don't sacrifice your health over this foolishness."

"Foolishness?" I laugh dryly. He doesn't understand.

"You resent him. I realized that the other day. Don't think that just because I wasn't around for a while in preparation for the assembly that it means I didn't notice anything. You hate him for whatever reason."

"Yeah well, I'm not his favorite person either," I retort.

He leans back in his chair next to me. "Edward doesn't hate you though. He may have some misconstrued thoughts about you and the way you've been acting, but he doesn't hate you."

"What do you know about Edward?"

Jasper shrugs. "I was curious about the person who had my little cousin so riled up. I had to check him out, so he and I had a chat."

Kate and Garrett sit silently during the whole conversation, probably too scared to speak. I calm myself. "I don't need your help, Jasper. I can take care of myself."

"You may not _need _it, but I never asked you for your permission," Jasper clarifies. "I'll look after you regardless, and you can thank me later."

I'm about to come back with a smart reply when the food comes out. After that, I'm a little preoccupied. Nothing is said for at least ten minutes after we start eating. I'm finishing the last few bites of the vegetables on my plate when Jasper says, "When we get back, just do me this one favor and get some rest. You look like shit, and that's an understatement."

Garrett stifles a laugh, and Kate busies herself with her meal. I roll my eyes. "Fine. But don't think that just because we went on this impromptu visit to China that I won't be going back to my training later."

"You're as stubborn as a mule," Jasper replies. "I figured there was no way of talking you out of it."

Kate pushes her plate away from her. "I'm full." She sighs. "Let's just pay for the food and go."

"You have yuans in your wallet, don't you?" Garrett asks Kate, referring to the Chinese currency.

She makes no move to reach into her pocket. "I didn't bring my wallet. I thought you had us covered." We notice the Chinese waiter glancing over at us.

"I guess that only leaves us with one option then." Garrett says, motioning for us to hurry and hold hands. "Let's go."

We join hands. It's a few seconds later when Garrett frowns. "That's weird. Usually I just envision the place and boom! I'm there. It didn't work."

"Try it again," Kate encourages.

He closes his eyes this time. Twenty seconds pass and we're still seated here in the restaurant. I'm beginning to get antsy, wondering what's happening. "It's not working," Garrett sighs. "I tried the northern courtyard, the training room, and even inside our dorm room."

I look over at Jasper. He's always got a plan. Jasper runs a hand through his ash-blonde hair. "Try just outside of the gate then."

It works. We're standing outside of the massive, black iron gates leading to the school's entrance. "Now what?" I say. "It's not like the gates are ever open."

Garrett grabs hold of the poles of the gate. "I can't get anywhere beyond the gate. What's going on?"

"Hand me your cell phone," I tell Jasper. His hands it over without questioning. I dial Alice's number and she answers on the first ring.

"Jasper? Where are you?" She questions worriedly.

"It's me, actually. I'm with Jasper, Garrett, and Kate outside of the gates." I tell her. "What's the issue here? Why can't we teleport anywhere on school grounds?" Through the iron bars, I can see the school far off into the distance. So close and yet so far.

I hear Alice call Rose over. She speaks again, nervously this time. "Your teleportation must have triggered the alarm. The force field is now up."

I groan. There's no way we can get back inside now, at least until the force field is deactivated. This means that the three headmasters are going to find out where we've been. And they won't be too happy. Consequences will result, and I'll never get my position as number one in elemental after this.

The world feels like it's crashing in on me, and suddenly all I see is darkness.

* * *

I wake up with a jolt. Kate stands over me. Her hand is poised at my side. "Sorry," She apologizes. "But it was necessary. We've been standing out here for almost an hour and you weren't waking up."

So she had shocked me into consciousness. "Why was I out for so long?"

Jasper gives me a hand, pulling me to my feet. "You used to pass out sometimes, but only when it got extremely hot outside. My guess is that this time fatigue and hunger weakened you; that can cause black outs."

"The headmasters are going have to let us in," I say, staring at the wrought iron bars.

"We know." Garrett sighs. And I have a feeling that this conversation had already been discussed while I was out.

Kate sits on the grass and pulls her knees to her chest. "Maybe we can ask Alice if she can try to phase through the force field," She suggests.

"If it didn't work for me, I doubt it'll work for Alice," Garrett replies.

A white brick wall lines the perimeter of the school grounds. The iron gates fill the opening of the wall. I place my hand along the clean white bricks. I notice the gap between the bottom of the iron gates and the ground. "Jasper," I turn to him. "Maybe you could work your powers and try to move me under the gate and to the other side, and I can try to help from there."

Jasper shakes his head. "You don't understand what that would mean. That's pretty much the destruction of your molecules. It's more complicated and painful than I make it seem. So, that's not an option."

"We're going to be in _so_ much trouble." I sigh.

Kate responds, "Maybe they'll be lenient towards us." She pauses for a moment and corrects her own statement. "No, probably not."

Light begins to touch the trees, casting long shadows. The dawn begins to break. The sun can be seen on the horizon to the right. From the western courtyard walk three figures. They look dark against the backdrop of the sun. They walk nearer, and I'm able to identify the three as the headmasters.

The wrought iron gate cries out as it slowly opens. We enter the schoolgrounds and walk to meet the three. Aro, standing in the middle, wears a serious expression, whereas Caius seems to find this humorous. His eyes are alight as he takes in the situation. Marcus looks his usual self.

Once we meet the three, Caius motions for us to follow them. They lead us across the courtyard and to the headmasters' building. It holds an office, a library, and a few suites. I've only been inside the building once, when I first arrived.

The inside is as lavish as I remember. Beige and cream patterned tiles imported from Italy cover the floor. A center piece of a golden vase rests atop a rich brown wooded side table. Other than the table, the room is empty. The walls are a dark red and three gold mirrors line the wall.

Jasper gazes at the room around us. Four hallways branch off from this lobby area. We pass by the vase, and Jasper reaches out to touch it.

Headmaster Aro immediately spins around to face the four of us. "Careful. That expensive piece was imported from Japan. We don't anything to happen to it."

Jasper raises his hands to show he had meant no harm, and Aro only turns around once Jazz is a distance away from it. No wonder they hardly ever allow students in here. With so many valuable items, the headmasters don't want to take any chances.

We enter a room off of the hallway. It's the headmasters' library. There are tons of dark brown oak bookcases and a table with three chairs in the center of the room. There are block letters of gold spelling out each one of their names, and the names rest on the table. The walls are an olive tone and the carpet is a rich gold.

Headmaster Marcus is seated on top of the table, but Headmaster Caius is nowhere to be found. The four of us come to a halt as Headmaster Aro whirls around to face us. His eyes find each and every one of us. "There is a curfew instilled at midnight every night. There is not to be any coming or going out of the school. If someone tries to get in, it triggers an alarm, and the force field appears. If someone tries to leave, the alarm sounds and they won't be able to return. Do you realize the seriousness of this offense?"

"Yes," We chorus. But I wouldn't have even been here if Jasper hadn't decided on this visit to Beijing. Then again, _they _wouldn't have done this if it weren't for me either.

Headmaster Marcus finally speaks, "Surely a punishment is in order."

"Yes, of course." Headmaster Aro agrees. "I was thinking of probation. What shall it be?"

"Allow me," Headmaster Caius interrupts from behind us. He enters the room carrying something small in his fist. His blonde hair covers part of his face, including his right eye, causing him to look quite mysterious. We face him to wait for the impending judgment. "I think that they should not receive the same punishment. What's the point of that?" He laughs, and it's a little unusual and misplaced. _Why is he laughing while dishing out our consequences? _The youngest headmaster continues, "Garrett. The teleporter. Don't think that we've been ignorant about your disappearances throughout the day, those lunch outings and the like. We've allowed that to happen because it meant practice. So for you, no use of teleportation-"

"But Headmaster... sir!" Garrett cuts him off. His eyes look a little worried, especially after just cutting off one of the headmasters. Still he continues, "What about for my physical class? I need to be able to use my ability for my field."

Headmaster Caius cocks his head to the side. "Do you?" His green eyes are piercing. "By all means then, why don't you go ahead and try to bounce back to the lobby?"

Garrett looks even more nervous now, as he knows the headmaster is blatantly challenging him. "Okay," He mumbles. Garrett looks toward the door with uncertainty. I can tell that he's trying to use his powers, but it isn't working. Garrett wears a face of frustration.

But the headmaster only finds this amusing. Headmaster Caius smirks, and Headmaster Aro speaks, "Four weeks probation."

Headmaster Caius sighs and toys with the gold letter 'C' of his name. "When will you students ever learn not to use your gifts for selfish purposes?" He makes a 'tsk tsk' sound and faces Kate. "Kate, I have something special for you. Catch." Headmaster Caius throws something to her, and she catches it. It's the object he had in his hands earlier.

Kate opens her hands to find a simple rubber band. She looks up at the headmasters as if this is a joke. "What is this for?" She asks, but it's obvious that she really doesn't want to know the answer to her question.

He answers it anyway. "Have you ever tried to use electricity on one of those? You'll be wearing that. So why don't you try it on? Tell us how that goes." Headmaster Caius turns his attention to me. "Isabella Swan. Ice girl. The use of the training room is a privilege. One that you no longer have. Four weeks." He reiterates. "Instead, why don't you spend that time cleaning the training rooms after use?"

I give him a cold stare at using the training room against me. He knows that I've been training a lot. He's probably in favor of Edward remaining on top, and this is his way of making sure of it. The youngest headmaster quirks an eyebrow, as if daring me to challenge him. At least he isn't going to negate my abilities, I suppose. It could be worse, but still. "Yes sir," I say. I keep my eyes on the ground before me.

"And what about Mr. Whitlock?"

Caius contemplates. "I'm not entirely sure."

Marcus moves from his seat on the table. He gestures to the bookshelves behind him. "The shelves are looking a little dusty. He can work in the library after classes every afternoon."

As his words sink in, Aro looks a little nervous at hearing Jasper will be working the library. Beads of sweat form on his forehead. He looks like he's about to say something, but someone else's voice joins the conversation.

"Headmaster," a new voice says. Edward stands in the entrance of the library. "You called for me?"

"Ah yes." Caius steps forward. "You need to work harder to maintain your status in the elemental field, so I devised a training schedule for you to strictly follow by." He hands him a paper.

I know what Caius is trying to do here now. I'm not allowed to use the training rooms, instead I have to clean it every time people use the rooms. And Edward has to train often now. This means being around him more often.

Caius claps his hands together. "Alright. All of you. Dismissed." We follow Caius and Marcus to the lobby. Aro stays behind. We're escorted out of the building.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Our first class hasn't started yet," Edward replies. He doesn't meet my eyes. "So why were you all in the headmasters' building?"

"We're on probation now," Garrett responds grudgingly.

The bell rings. It's faint, but we can hear it from out here. "Shit," Edward sighs. "That was the bell. We're late. Can't you just teleport us so we won't have to walk so far?"

"I can't."

"Wait a second," Jasper says. He pats down his pockets. "I think I left my cell phone in there. It may have dropped."

"I'll go with you," I tell him. We walk in the opposite direction. The doors to the building are surprisingly unlocked, so we walk right in. "Do you remember where you last had it?"

He nods. "It was with me when we were in the lobby area." Jasper and I make a right down the hallway. "So I guess it has to be in the library."

We hear talking coming from inside the library, so we pause for a second. The door is cracked. It doesn't sound like any of the headmasters' voices, but we don't want to interrupt anything. All I can make out is that someone with a deep voice is talking. Their words are unclear. I glance at Jasper and see that he's listening carefully. The deep voice is suddenly accompanied by one I recognize to be Aro's.

"Who is-" I start to say, but Jasper cuts me off with a finger to the lips.

Jasper slowly opens the door a little farther, enough for him to squeeze through. I watch him as he crouches down and crawls to grab his phone. I stand guard in the hallway until he returns.

I wait until we're safely a good distance away from the building before speaking. "Did you see who Aro was talking to?" I ask. "It didn't sound like either of the two headmasters or anyone I know."

He keeps his voice low. "The only person in the library was Headmaster Aro, and he had his back turned."

"Maybe he was talking to himself," I suggest.

Jasper shakes his head. "Highly unlikely. That wasn't _his _voice. Besides, it sounded like the headmaster was answering a question. I couldn't hear what the voice said, but I heard the headmaster say that he was working on something. I don't know what."

"Do you think something is up?"

"My working in the library could be highly advantageous. I'm a little curious about this, so I'll try to figure some things out." He replies. For now, we both agree not to speak about what he heard until Jasper finds anything else out.

* * *

It's been a few days now since we've been on probation, and working the training rooms after someone's used them has been horrible. I've had to clean slime, return reusable dummies to the supply room, throw what's left of practice materials into the garbage chute, and many more things I'd rather not do. It's not that I don't mind cleaning; I took care of the housework when I was living in Forks. I just would prefer not to clean up behind a bunch of mutants.

However, cleaning up after Edward's sessions are the worst. It's as if he does certain things on purpose just to get a rise out of me, as if everything is for his enjoyment. Having to come behind him and prepare the training room for its next use isn't helping my pride either.

Today is the last day of training room duty for this week though, as the punishment does not extend to the weekend. I'm standing outside of the third training room. According to my watch, it's 5:58 pm, and Edward should be finishing up in there within the next minute or so.

Right on the dot, the door opens, and he walks out. His green eyes meet mine. "You might want to grab a fire extinguisher," He says with a smirk. "And I'll be back in an hour for my next session." He's obviously making more work for me in purpose. I had seen him at the assembly. He's able to extinguish fire on his own; he's only choosing not to.

He starts walking toward the elevator. I unfurl my hand and the slightly inclined floor before him turns to ice. I turn to enter the training room, when I slip into a puddle of water. I fall right onto my ass, causing a huge wet stain on the back of my white pair of jeans. I glare at his retreating form. He's always one step ahead of me, but not for long.

I open the door to the training room only to find every single dummy on fire. At least ten of them are engulfed in red-orange, wild flames. The fire puts itself out as ice forms onto each of the practice materials. I throw the things into the garbage chute. This time, I take fire-resistant models this time to replace the others. I line them up against the wall for him to position as need be.

Once I'm finished, I exit the room. Dinner is already being served in the dining room, so I quickly eat and make it back to the school's lower level. At the present, the training room is occupied, so I know he's in there. The thermostat is back at 91°, his preferred room temperature. I had turned it down earlier just to piss him off. However, its increase of degrees indicates his presence.

I'm chilling outside of the room, when the door suddenly flies open. My eyes snap up to see his furious face as he storms out of the room. "You sabotaged my training, didn't you?" He accuses, eyes flaming.

"Sabotage?" I rise to my feet. "Would I do that?"

Edward laughs dryly and shakes his head. His reddish brown hair falls in front of his face."You're jealous, aren't you? That's a powerful emotion for someone so cold-hearted." I throw him a glare, and he continues, "Maybe I was wrong before. You're definitely a piece of work, but you're not unemotional."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Nope," He replies. "I've got nothing to do for the next hour now that I can't use the training room. You probably did this on purpose, interfering with my training so you could spend more time with me."

I make a face. "Hardly. Now, you might want to watch what you say, flame boy." Frost begins to cover my hands, encasing them in ice. Ice shards form at the tips of my fingers, each one at least six inches and sharpened to a point.

He glances down at my hands and back at my face. "Is that supposed to be intimidating?"

I lunge at him, crossing the three feet of distance between us. I raise my hand in the air, poised like a claw. Before I can get a swipe in, Edward grabs hold of my hand, throwing me off balance. The ice melts in his hand, and he watches curiously as it leaves my soft, pale flesh. His eyes meet mine. "You can't do it, can you?" He inquires. His tone is curious and innocent, like a child.

"Do what?" I respond. I try to move my hand, but he keeps it firmly in his grip. I feel impelled to remain there, and it's an unusual feeling.

"Turn into ice, like I do with fire. You only cover yourself with it. I'd bet that that's why you spent so much time training, isn't it?"

I narrow my eyes at him. _How does he know?_ Asides from improving my combat skills, I was trying everything to be able to change _into _ice. But, I can't, and it is so infuriating. _But _how _does he know? _I ask, "Why are you watching me so carefully?"

Edward releases my hand, and I return it to my side. He replies, "You're interesting. Although, I suppose you only view me as competition, am I right? However, since our powers are so alike, perhaps I can help you."

"For what?" I inquire, getting to the root of his proposition.

"What do you mean?"

I sigh. "What do you want in return, Edward?"

He smirks and says, "Some people do things out of the kindness of their hearts without ulterior motives."

"Our abilities are polar opposites," I tell him.

"No. You said it before. Both fire and ice _can _destroy, but they can also create in a way, I guess. Either way, we're both in the elemental field." He checks his watch. "So, I'll see you tomorrow at this time."

I'm a little wary of what he's proposing, but I can't think of any wrong motives he'd have for doing this. Maybe once I'm able to do this, I'll be more even with him. There's only one thing. "I'm not allowed to use the training room. It's part of my probation."

Edward runs a hand through his hair. "Then let's go somewhere. I know the perfect place."

* * *

**A/N: I just love Caius. ****And back to the aforementioned thing: Even though X-Men is my inspiration, this story and this school, Volterra Academy, have a lot of differences. #1 Difference: At Xavier's school, morals are taught. Here at Volterra, we only recruit the best and others that we can work with. If you've survived as a mutant this long, then you're fit to be at Volterra. We don't bother teaching morals because everyone's already at least 13-14 years old. You should've learned some stuff by now. And if you haven't and decide to act out, then you're put on probation (Caius negates your powers and you won't be able to use them.) Or, if it's a huge offense... well, we have someone for that too. ;)**

**Just wanted to clear a few things up, and see you all in two weeks for Chapter 8!**


	8. Conflicting Emotions

**Chapter 8.**

* * *

Edward shows up to my dorm room on Saturday afternoon. As soon as he knocks, I'm already opening the door. I can't risk Alice or Rosalie finding out where I am going. It would be hypocritical of me to go somewhere with the object of my hatred... or not hatred. Things are confusing with him, and I'm still trying to make sense of it all. I don't necessarily like him, but I'm not sure that I hate him.

He thinks that we should train outside of the school grounds. I doubt that that's possible since I'm on probation, but he wants to ask the headmasters anyway. We walk to their building. It has an ominous feel to it, but I've always noticed that.

The double doors are massive. They're a deep brown without windows or anything. Edward tries the doors only to find that they're locked. "Should we knock?" He suggests. He knocks on the door three sharp times.

"I doubt the noise carried. It's a big place." I tell him.

"Well there isn't a doorbell."

We hear the turning of locks, and the doors open revealing Headmaster Marcus. His white hair is matted to his head. He wears a black robe with V.A. Inscribed in red, indicating that the headmasters may not rise early during the weekend. The headmaster looks unexcited to see us at his doorstep. "Students," He mutters. "What do you all want?"

Edward maintains his composure and speaks clearly. "We'd like to ask for permission to leave school grounds."

Marcus rolls his eyes and gestures for us to come inside. He tells us to wait in the lobby while he goes to fetch the other two headmasters. Edward and I stand awkwardly a few feet away from each other. I remind myself that this is only to help me train. It could be a training room substitute. As soon as he teaches me some new moves, I could regain my spot as top in our field. I'm not even sure why he's helping the competition. Perhaps, he doesn't realize the seriousness of this.

The headmaster returns with only Headmaster Caius. "Isabella, Edward," Headmaster Caius greets. A smile is etched onto his face. He too is wearing the black robe, but he looks well rested. Or perhaps he's always this full of life.

"We could not find Aro. He's around here somewhere." Headmaster Marcus says before allowing his younger brother to take the floor.

"Why do you want to leave?" Caius questions, his face almost has a trace of amusement. His lips are curled upward but his eyes are slightly narrowed.

"We would like to train together, if that's alright, Headmaster." Edward replies.

"Isabella is banned from the school's training facilities, so you're trying to find another way around it? Fire and ice. I'm surprised that you two can work together like that."

"Our powers are very similar, so we believe that we can help each other get better."

"Oh you do?" The headmaster turns to me to confirm that that's the truth.

With a nod, I respond, "Yes. It's our intention to better develop our skills."

"Hmm," Headmaster Caius reaches into his pocket and pulls out an object which he immediately throws to Edward. It jingles as it flies through the air. Edward catches it effortlessly, opening his palms to reveal a set of keys. Caius continues, "The parking lot is to the left of our building. You may go."

We thank them and follow their instructions. I'd never seen the parking lot before, as I'd never had a reason to come this far. Our buildings aren't anywhere near the headmasters'. Theirs is closer to the driveway and sits at the top of the hill. There are a ton of cars here, all varying in makes and colors. None of these cars look like anything I've seen before. And I'd bet that these are very expensive.

"Holy shit," Edward glances at all the cars around us. "How much money do those three _have_?!"

Since he is in his stupor, I take the keys out of his hand. He doesn't notice me do this. I scrutinize the vehicles and click the remote. A red car's lights blink further down the row. "The teachers could also use this parking lot. It may not be just for the headmasters."

He shakes his head. "Dr. Carlisle took me on a tour of the school grounds, minus this area. The mentors and teachers have their own lot. This is all the headmasters."

I believe what he says, but this is impossible. There are at least twenty cars minus the motorcycles. As soon as Edward lays eyes on our ride, his mouth drops open. I recognize the Ferrari symbol on the car. I walk toward the driver's side door. Edward turns his attention to me. "What are you doing?"

"About to drive," I reply.

Edward takes the keys from my hands in one smooth sweep. "This car is worth at least a million dollars. I remember reading about it. This is a Ferrari 599 GTO. Even though it seems like this costs a lot, it looks like one of the least expensive in the lot. Regardless... no way you're driving this baby."

"No way I'm trusting you to drive," I counter. I place my hands on my hips in defiance. "You're practically fire. Last time I checked, fire and gas do not mix. What if the car explodes?"

He rolls his eyes. "Then I'll contain the explosion. Look, the way you're thinking about this, it'll be dangerous if I get in the car period." Edward walks to the passenger side and opens the door. I think that this is my victory until he holds the door open, expecting me to get in. When I don't, he continues, "I'm the one with the keys here. Besides, you don't even know where we're going."

With an exasperated sigh, I get in on the passenger side, and Edward closes the door behind me. I watch as he slowly walks around the back of the car, admiring it. When he finally climbs inside, he sighs. "I'm in heaven. Now let's see what this baby can do."

I barely have time to strap myself in with the seat belt before he's peeling out of the lot. "Nice," He comments. "Already 60 mph and it's only been a couple of seconds."

"Let's _not _test this thing out." I suggest.

"Now where's the fun in that?" He asks, and the car lurches forward in a sudden burst of speed. Edward presses a button on the ceiling above us, and the gate opens before us.

* * *

I endure around thirty minutes of his crazy, fast driving. By the time he finally comes to a stop, he is grinning like a little kid. "That was amazing!"

My hands are shaking still from his driving, and I almost have to pry my hand from the door handle. "For you." I sigh. "Are you sure you weren't trying to kill me? If the car really did explode, you could probably walk away unscathed."

"True," He agrees. "But if I wanted you dead, I would've already done it. Now get out of the car."

"Where are we going?" I climb out of the car and carefully close the door. I'm sure Caius will have our asses if anything happens to his beloved car.

Edward replies, "There's this great secluded spot I found with my dad when I was younger. I wish I could show you so much of Chicago, but that will have to be another time."

The walk is relatively silent. He leaves me to my thoughts as he leads the way. The small amount of space between us is no longer awkward or uncomfortable, as that feeling had dissipated in the even littler distance in the car. We had only been separated by the center console. The trees begin to even out, and the tree line ends. We're in a small clearing. A river passes through the area. The water looks deep from where I stand. "Is this where we're practicing?"

"Yeah. I figured that being near a body of water could help you."

I scowl. "I can do my stuff without the help of water."

"Suit yourself. I just enjoy starting out with something simple and light." He pulls a lighter out of his jeans' pocket. A small spark catches. He grins. "Watch this." Edward places the lighter on the ground and moves his hands as if guiding the flame. It obeys willingly. He adds to the blaze, directing and moving it around in the air as if it is a snake. He's careful not to allow it to touch the grass. The serpent increases in size, and I can see little details forming within the flames, if that's possible.

I realize that he's constructing something. The smell of smoke enters my nostrils, and I lower the temperature of the air around us which works to get rid of some of the thick darkness. The fire in the air takes the form of a dragon. Edward grins successfully. He claps his hands once, and the blaze disappears, leaving only a trace of billowing smoke.

"How'd you like-" His sentence is cut off as he begins coughing violently. I stand frozen in my spot, unsure of what to do. Finally, a series of fire blasts leaves his lips. I gape at him, and he gives me a crooked smile in return. "Let loose, Bella. You're too uptight. Make training fun."

"You're here to teach me," I remind him. _Not to have fun._

"And this is the first lesson. Rule number one: Take it easy and build up to the hard stuff. Pace yourself. It's just like exercising. Now can you do something similar, maybe ice breath?"

I walk to the edge of the river bank and kneel over the waters. The breeze is strong, and the water forms waves that crash a less than a foot away from me. I take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale through the mouth, letting out a huge breath. The cold air from my lips blows onto the water, catching some waves in mid-crash, freezing them solid. A sheet of ice begins to form at the top of the water.

"Can you freeze the whole lake?" He inquires. The proximity of his voice startles me, and I realize that he must have walked forward at some point.

"I could, but I'll only freeze the top. I don't want to kill the marine life." I place my hand on the cold frozen water, and pretty soon this entire portion of the river had frozen over.

"That's pretty cool. Ice covers the whole water. It's like a floor, a slippery one. Is it strong enough for you to walk over?"

"Yes. And you think this is _cool_?" Few people have ever described my ability as being cool. I know ice is cool or cold, but not many have referred to it this way.

He nods. "Definitely."

I gaze out onto the ice, taking in the scene around me. It is beautiful. Ice is an amazing wonder. I pull my arms in, clutching my sides. My mind is far away.

_-Flashback-_

_I get the big bucket and fill it up to the top with water. My dolls need a pool. Barbie told me so herself. They're waiting outside. I have to carry the bucket through the kitchen to the back door. It splashes as I walk. This thing is really heavy. I end up tripping over the bucket, and it falls and water spills out onto the kitchen floor, covering every inch of the tile with water._

_My eyes widen. Daddy's gonna be _so_ mad. He's sleeping right now, and he hates it when stuff wakes him up. I run to get a paper towel. The water feels really cold, but I get used to it as I splash to the counter. I kneel down to dip the paper towel in the water but it doesn't help. It's still everywhere._

_The sun is setting outside. I don't think he'll wake up any time soon if I don't make a lot of noise. I try to cup the water in my hands and release it into the bucket. It's taking a long time to work. I run back to get more paper towels. As my barefeet splash, the water starts to feel different. Like a slushy or a milkshake. The water turned into slush. By the time I make it to the counter, I turn back to see it _is_ slushy. I jump in the water again and the same thing happens. I run around the kitchen, laughing and smiling until it hardens under my feet. It's no longer any fun, and I figure it's best to go change out of my wet clothes._

_I end up falling asleep after changing, and I only wake up to loud yelling. "ISABELLA MARIE SWAN!"_

_I blink my eyes and crawl out of bed. "Daddy?" I don't have first grade today because it's the weekend. He doesn't usually get up early on the weekend. I scramble to get down the stairs and end up slipping as soon as my feet hit the kitchen floor._

_With a thud, I fall onto the floor. It's cold and slippery. _Ice?_ "Why is there ice on the floor?"_

"_You tell me," He says, anger or frustration in his voice. Daddy points to the backdoor. It's not all the way closed. I had forgotten all about Barbie and her friends. _Their pool!_ "What, did you spill water everywhere last night?! _And_ you left the door open. It's December, Bella. This is Washington! Now, there's ice everywhere."_

_He pulls the ends of his hair and makes me go get a heater. I put it in front of the ice to melt. "But Daddy," I say. "I think I did this."_

"_I know you did this. You spilled water. It's cold outside, so it froze."_

"_No, I mean-"_

"_Up to your room!" He says. His face is red._

"_But-"_

"_Now!"_

_I do as he says. I stay in my room for what feels like a long time. Once I'm sure he's calmed down, I sneak down the stairs. I go to the bathroom and lock the door. I turn the sink faucet on and stop the drain. When the water fills up, I turn it off and place my hands on the surface of the water. I stare at the sink. "Come on," I encourage. The water only gets colder. "Come on..." It takes a couple of minutes, but it freezes under my hands. "Yes!"_

_Even though I know this is like the coolest thing ever, I decide not to say anything to Daddy about this. I don't know how he'll react._

_-End Flashback-_

"I'm sorry for goofing around," Edward says bringing me to the present. "You probably have a training schedule that you're used to. Let's just get started. You're pretty good with constructs, why don't we start with that?"

I put my thoughts aside and focus on the task before me. "What do you want me to construct?"

"Anything. Something elaborate."

It takes me a few minutes, but I sculpt the Caius' Ferrari out of ice. It's nothing detailed, just a rough model. Edward nods in approval. "Nice. Let's work on some blasts."

We practice for over an hour. By watching him, I realize he has a lot of control with his movements. He uses the fire, almost commanding it to do as he pleases. It's kind of interesting. I never feel like that when I generate ice, it makes me feel more of an artist. Edward uses a different form when it comes to his element.

He notices me watching him, but he never breaks his concentration. "What?" He asks.

"Nothing." I realize that there's a reason he's number one in our field, but it's something that I have to fix. "So, are we going to get to elemental forms?"

Edward looks unsure. "We can start, but I didn't learn how to do this until much later. It took me a lot of work to even keep the form for at least ten seconds. The flames tended to extinguish themselves. It's gotten easier over the years."

"Well, what's your technique?"

"Meditation. I envision a flame before me." He stands tall and claps his hands together in prayer position. He remains like that for a couple of minutes, eyes closed in meditation. Then, his hands ignite. Flames taking the place of his pale flesh. The flames lick his skin, changing his molecules as they go. Before long, the fire is all over his body, he _is _fire. I know he only goes through the process slowly to show me how it's done. "It also helps to imagine yourself being consumed by your element," He adds.

"You want me to visualize myself freezing to death?"

Edward looks just like he did in my dream. Those green eyes are still staring at me. "Not to see yourself freezing. Just imagine yourself encased in ice. And when the ice breaks, you're a completely different person. Like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar when it transforms to a butterfly. You're one with the ice. Or maybe there's an image of a place that really captures your element. Focus on that."

I do as he says and takes a similar pose as he extinguishes his flames, leaving him as his normal self. The grass below him has completely burned out along with the surrounding grass. However, he's put it out.

I calm myself and shut my eyes. I don't know how long I stand there, blocking everything out, only focusing on a snowy image. The snow falls on a frozen lake. I stand in the middle of the water. Ice creeps up, sheathing me with the familiar coldness. It fully encases me, but I continue to breathe. Steady breaths.

The air around me is frigid and cold. I sense no difference between it and my temperature. The image remains the focal point in my mind. Two more minutes pass, and my head feels heavier than before, as if something is pulling me down. I open my eyes to find Edward watching me in awe.

"What?" I ask.

"Your hair..."

My fingers move behind me to feel the soft locks of my brown hair but find ice instead. The ice stops about mid-length of my it. My wavy hair is now solid ice. I'm too afraid to move my head. What would happen if I did? Would the ice break? I add to the density of the ice hair to ensure that it won't crack or break.

Edward should at least know how it is with fire, so I inquire, "How do I return to normal?"

"Do the opposite. Envision your normal self- that's what I do." He holds his arms close to his body, and only then do I realize it's much colder around me in actuality than it was previously.

I concentrate and can feel my tresses change back into the usual soft curls. He wears a wide smile despite the wintry air. "I knew you could do it. You learn and perfect quickly. It takes me a while to get the hang of new things."

I shift uncomfortably at his praise. I figure that now is a good stopping point. I plan on practicing this more at home. The sun is already setting, preventing us from going much longer anyway. He seems to read my mind when he asks, "Do you want to leave now or try it some more?"

"This will end today's practice. I'd like to practice more on my own."

"So is this it, or are we meeting again after this?"

I smooth my skirt out and look up at him. "We'll see how it goes."

"Cool," Edward replies. He gestures for me to go ahead, so I begin walking back to the car. Edward stays on my right, taking the lead to guide us in the right direction. The walk is silent- reflective. I think that I now have the capabilities to undergo this metamorphosis, but it will require work and effort. Two things that my body isn't foreign to. I'm already a level five, so there's no upgrading when it comes to that. Perhaps though, this is enable me to reclaim my spot as top in elemental. In third position is Benjamin, as he was second before Edward came along. The six of us the elemental field are usually somewhat neck-to-neck on the class list. It always takes the headmasters longer to calculate our scores. We are one of- if not _the_- most powerful field.

When we enter the interstate, Edward turns to me from the driver's side. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stop at White Kastle on the way back."

"What's that?" I question.

"Seriously?" His eyes widen in a cross between disbelief and amazement. "You've been in Illinois this whole time and you know nothing about White Kastle?"

"We stayed within the confines of the school gates most of the time." Whenever we'd go with Garrett somewhere, it had been in another state or country. I've never really been around our area much, why would we waste our time doing that when we had the world at our fingertips?

"We're going," Edward decides. "I hope you like burgers."

Twenty minutes later, I'm staring at the burger in my hand. Edward gives an encouraging look. "Why are they so tiny?" I ask.

"They're mini burgers. It's supposed to be like that." He regards me closely. "Do you like it?"

I shrug. "It's okay." I finish the small hamburger and pull another from the bag. He tries to hide a smile.

~F&I~

Edward holds open the door to the school building. The smell of chicken wafts into the hallway outside of the dining hall. I sigh, "It's dinnertime, and I'm no longer hungry."

"You can thank me later," He responds. "The Academy's food is great and all, but I miss the great food joints around Chi-town."

He walks in front of me and gets the dining hall door for me as well. Immediately as we enter, all eyes are on us. I fall out of step with him and head for my table. Everyone is already seated here and it looks as if dinner is almost over. I sit at my spot. I'm expecting Edward to go sit with Garrett and company, but instead he takes the chair right next to me. "Hey," Edward greets my friends. They all look a little surprised to see him sitting with us, and of course I am as well. They mumble replies.

I throw him a glare. _Why is he sitting here with us? _We can associate outside of the academy for training purposes solely, but having him here next to me feels strange.

Alice clears her throat, gaining our attention. "I'd ask where you were all afternoon..." She twirls the straw in her bottle of coke, "-but I think it's pretty obvious."

"Everyone in Elemental had to meet today. We were -uh- working on something." I lie.

"Really?" She inquires. A curious look is on her face. Ali takes a sip of her drink. "We hung out with Kate earlier. She didn't mention anything."

They know I'm lying. _Why is it such a big deal who I was with? Is it because it's Edward?_ It's not as if he and I are suddenly friends. I'm following the principle keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. I'm the only one benefiting from this commensalism.

Rosalie regards Edward warily. As if sensing that he was unwanted here, she asks, "Do you want me to take care of him?"

Edward pales at the thought of Rose using her mind control on him. As interesting as that seems, I feel like I have to decline. The least I can do is allow him to sit with us for the final ten minutes of dinner. Then I won't feel like I have to owe him for helping me. This is why I hate when people offer me assistance, I hate feeling entitled to someone. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I tuck a few fly strands of hair behind my ear. "Dinner will be over soon. It's fine." I assure her.

Conversation ceases, and the six of us are just kind of looking around, trying to ignore the elephant in the room. _Which of these things does not belong?_

"So..." Em takes a stab at rousing a topic. "Fried chicken..." He glances down at his cleaned plate for an idea. Emmett always finishes his food first. He shovels it down, so it had probably been long gone. He picks at the bone with his fork.

Our table doesn't say much after that. Then, the clock chimes as the next hour strikes, signaling the end of dinner. Jasper finally speaks, "I'm guessing you already ate, Bells?"

I nod. "Yes. That's why I'm not all that hungry."

Edward rubs the back of his head awkwardly. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Today was... nice."

I glance from him to my friends. He still doesn't get it. They still think I hate him. I mean, I don't think it's really hatred anymore. It's hard to hate a person who follows you around like a lost puppy. I don't feel any compassion towards him though. After today and our agreement, perhaps I tolerate him, not that I particularly want him around my inner circle. I don't trust him like that, so I reply, "Yeah. Bye."

He looks a little confused as he walks away. Emmett exhales audibly. "Well, that was awkward."

Alice fires on questions. "Where were you _really _today? Where did you eat? Why were you with him? And why did he decide to sit here all of a sudden?"

"More importantly, why didn't you kick him out?" Rose glares.

Emmett gathers the empty plates for us. "Well _I_ think Edward's alright. He obviously doesn't have the best sense of judgment if he's still trying to sit with us, but the dude is persistent. It's almost funny."

As Alice changes the subject, Rosalie gives me a look. She's still curious. She'll just dig later for more information until she's satisfied.

Jasper gets my attention. "Bella, walk with me? I think I left my notebook in my history class yesterday, and I have a paper due Monday." I'm not sure why he needs me to go with him, but we walk out of the dining room. We make a left down the hallway. The door is unlocked as all classroom doors are. _What's the point of locks when the teachers would already know who was there?_ If something was stolen, they'd know who did it.

He flicks on the light and moves his ash blonde hair out of his eyes. His voice is low. "Working in the headmasters' building has proved advantageous. Remember how odd it was when we saw Aro in the library that time?" I nod and he continues, "Well, I found a small sheet of paper-" He reaches into his pocket and pulls the paper out. "All it had on there were four names."

Jasper tries to hand me the paper. I shake my head. "What if this was an important list? I don't want to be responsible for this if the headmasters realize it's gone."

He places it into my palm anyway. "I'm not that dense. The real one is still in the exact same spot. I just transferred the names to this just in case it means something. I took precautions. I always wear these black gloves. There wouldn't ever be the trace of a fingerprint."

I smile at my cousin in approval. "Was the paper just sitting out in the open?"

"No. It was between two books. I've been cataloging the library according to authors. The paper was between two books on the first shelf in the 'Aa' section."

"What do you think this means?"

"He scratches his chin, where a few short hairs gathered. The light gives them a blondish appearance. "I can't say anything for certain yet. These occurrences- Aro's strange behavior and what I found- may not even be related. Maybe I'm overthinking it all. Not even the names on the list match. I couldn't find any connection. You take a look at it. Let me know if you think of anything. In the meantime, I'll be conducting my own research."

We start walking out of the room when Jasper says, "Oh, I almost forgot." He walks over to his desk where his black notebook rests.

"You actually left that in here?" I inquire.

"You think I'd come in here without an excuse? I cover my tracks, cous'." Jazz smirks.

* * *

**A/N: And there we go. Tell me your thoughts!**


	9. Battle of the Mentors, Ready? Begin!

**Chapter 9.**

**A/N: Where we last left off... Jasper showed Bella a mysterious paper he found in the Headmasters' library, and he told her to take a look at it to try to decipher the meaning or connection. Meanwhile, Bella's growing closer toward Edward through the use of her training.**

* * *

Tuesday morning is hectic. Classes begin at 9:00 am. My alarm is supposed to wake me up at 8:30. However, it doesn't go off for whatever reason. Maybe the batteries are dead. Instead, I wake at 8:53, with only seven minutes to make it to class. I pull on a light blue knitted sweater, a pair of jeans and my snow white boots. I make a dash for the bathroom when I realize that I haven't heard a peep from Rosalie or Alice. I skip into the hallway, balancing on one leg to get the last boot on. A toothbrush hangs out of my mouth. I knock once on Rose's door. "Rosalie? Wake up!" I jump over to the next door. "Alice!"

There is no response. Alice always invades _my _privacy. I count to three before pushing the door open. The room is empty. Her bed has even been made, and that rarely happens. Rosalie's is vacant as well. They had left without me. Grabbing my bag, I run out of the dorm. The stairs are a lot quicker than the elevator. The cool air hits my face as soon as the door opens. I glance at my watch. There are exactly two minutes left. The courtyards are void of students. I go around the North entrance of the building. My Lit class is fortunately the first classroom on the left, but the bell begins to ring. I enter the room as it finishes.

Mr. Porter gives me a look as I take my seat. "We were wondering when you'd show," Alice says.

"You all left me," I accuse.

"You told us you were going to leave later."

"When was this?"

"You were sleeptalking, I guess. Wouldn't be the first time, but I thought you were up!"

Apparently, I talk in my sleep. I don't think it happens often, but they claim that when it does, it's hilarious. That's what separate bedrooms are for._ Intrusive roommates... _I pay attention to Porter as he analyzes the literary work on the screen before us. Beside me, Em sits back in his seat lazily. On the other side of Alice, Edward is scribbling something in his notebook. His reddish brown hair has more of a coppery feel when it hits the light in a certain way. Maybe I'm staring too hard.

Movement catches my eye. Jasper is whispering something to Rose. No sooner than he leans back in his seat does a copy of Porter show up behind him. "Whitlock, since you want to talk, I'm moving you to the front of the classroom where I can keep an eye on you."

The only available seat in the front is the seat to the left of James. Jasper gathers his things and takes his new seat.

Class continues, and the bell rings later. Alice, Emmett, Rose, and I get ready to transition to our next class. I notice Jasper talking to James for a brief moment. It seems so out of place. Although, Jasper is the kind of person who can talk to anyone and make them feel at ease. James leans back against his desk, eyes watching my cousin with mild curiosity. Their conversation lasts for a little under thirty seconds, and no one else probably even registers the encounter. It sticks out in my mind though.

* * *

I'm in the hallway between my Trig class and History class. I take out the small folded paper Jasper had given me. My eyes roam over the paper for a hundredth time. I still can't think of any possible connection between the four names.

_James Hunter_

_Bree Olsen_

_Vera Sharpe_

_David Ross_

James is reserved. He hardly speaks to anyone. When he's at the school, he keeps to himself. Bree is a second-year. The girl has invisibility, but that's about it. I think she's the same person from the latest assembly who could barely hold her unseen form for long. Next, there's Vera, or Vee as most people call her. She isn't as much of a loner as James. She makes appearances at social events like parties. Her power is related to sound. I don't know what all she's capable of, but she's probably a level two or three. However, everyone knows her for being one of the best DJs at our school.. That's where I usually see her- at parties, either on the stage or at the DJ booth. The last name on the list is unfamiliar to me. I have no idea who this David person is. Perhaps he's a filler.

Either way, I don't find anything in common between these names. Neither James nor Vee associate with many people, but they don't talk to each other. And James is a 4th year, I think. Or not. He's been here for a long time. It's hard to say.

I'm walking down the hallway, my eyes glued to the paper in my hands when suddenly, I bump into someone. The paper floats to the ground, and the guy I run into drops all of his books. His eyes dart around, and the fear in his face is evident as he realizes who he hit. I don't know who this guy is, but he apparently recognizes me.

"I'm sorry," He hastily says. The filler drops to the floor, scrambling to retrieve my fallen paper first before getting his things. I take in his appearance. His clothes are sloppily put together. His black hair is matted to his face with fresh beads of sweat. His wrinkled shirt is half-tucked, and the old, gray sweatpants he's donned are filthy with stains. A trembling hand places the paper on my waiting palm. It's semi-wet. I wipe my hand on my jeans and mask my look of disgust.

"Oh God." He sinks to the floor, clutching his stomach. "I'm really, really sorry! I'm just nervous and..."

I start backing away, but not before the ripe smell enters my nostrills. I immediately cover my nose. It smells like rotten eggs and other spoiled food along with a landfill or city dump, and it's all concentrated into this one boy. I make a dash down the hallway, leaving him muttering, "Sorry," behind me.

_Oh the joys of living at a school for mutants..._ You never know what surprise lurks at every corner. I make it to my next class just as the bell rings. I have this class with Rosalie and Emmett. People cover their noses as I walk down the aisle. Rose grimaces as I plop down beside her. "No offense, B, but you stink... like really badly."

"Gee, really? I didn't notice." I reply with a scowl.

"No need to be so snooty. I'm just saying."

"It was this guy. He had black hair and was sweating like a pig. One minute, he's babbling about how nervous and jumpy he was, and the next time, I'm surrounded by this awful stench." I sigh, and slump into my seat defeatedly.

"I think I've heard of The Skunk," Emmett says. "He's a filler, and he emits a smell whenever he gets really flustered or nervous. I heard it lingers a while."

I lay my head on the desk in front of me, and suffer the next hour of class. I don't become immune to the odor at all during this time, the repugnant smell filling my nostrils and causing me to feel like I have to gag ever so often. And when morning classes end, I make a trip to the dorms. I fish around in my pockets for my dorm key. Dorm rooms are basically the only things that remain locked. It's mainly to give us a sense of privacy and comfort.

The key isn't to be found. It's not in my bag either. We don't have a spare hidden in the hallway, like others. I don't have a bobby pin to pick the lock. In frustration, I hit my forehead with my palm. _How could I have forgotten my key?_ Without another choice, I freeze the lock. I lay a swift kick to it and the frozen knob easily falls to the ground. I push the door open, and I'm inside. We'll have to inform the headmasters of that later. We're going to need a new door soon.

I take a quick shower, hoping to scrub off the offending smell, but by the time I wrap myself in my towel, I realize the stench still remains. It's slightly fainter, but it's ever present. I attempt to mask it with one of Rosalie's perfumes, but it doesn't work. The smells don't even clash, the reek is _that_ overpowering. Trounced, I walk to the dining hall.

A couple of fillers are in the aisle as I enter the room. I don't notice the green slime on the tiles until I slip on it. It happens quickly. I lose my balance, falling to the ground, when a filler throws a ball of slime in my direction. The moment he realizes where it's headed, I'm sure he immediately regrets it. "Oh shit!" He exclaims. He and two of his friends rush over.

I stand up. My voice is level and low, "Do you realize what you just did?" My front is covered with the icky, bright green fluid. The temperature lowers significantly in a wide radius, and all eyes are on us.

The guy holds his hands up in defense. "We didn't mean to. We were only playing slime ball. I was trying to throw it to Eric! He should've set himself up in a better position to catch it!"

The other- Eric- is quick to place the blame elsewhere. "No! It wasn't my fault, honestly!"

I glare at the three and begin walking towards them, when I feel a hand on my shoulder. It's Emmett. Grudgingly, I calm myself. I look them in the eyes for a few seconds before losing eye contact. They hang their heads low, avoiding my stare. Em and I head to our seats.

Edward approaches to intercept our path. He starts shedding his jacket to give to me. "If you need it," He says, "You can wear mine." His eyes are on my ruined sweater.

"I'm fine," I respond. Emmett and I walk past him.

I feel gross in the soiled clothes. Once, I'm seated, I shrug out of my jacket. I proceed to pull the shirt over my head, revealing my white tank top underneath. This'll have to do for the rest of the day. I don't have the time to go and change. I toss the shirt in the trash can and return to my chair.

"Well, that was quite a scene," Rose mutters. This is obviously not my day. Nothing seems to be going my way.

"Are you going to eat lunch?" Em asks. "The lasagna is pretty good."

"I'm no longer so hungry," I say.

Still, Jasper slides his plate to me. "Eat," He commands. "You'll need plenty of energy for combat practice." His plate contains some leftover pasta. I know there's no sense in arguing with my cousin, so I take his fork and pick around the dish. It is actually delicious for lunch food, and I find myself finishing the rest of it. We have chefs who cook our meals, but they usually aren't able to come in until dinnertime. This tastes like they would have prepared it, so perhaps they came in early today.

"How many weeks of probation do you all have left?" Alice inquires.

Jazz sighs. "Two and a half weeks left."

Rosalie fails to conceal a smirk. "And how's that going for you all?"

"Working around sweaty people in the training room all day isn't exactly fun." I push my plate away and take a sip from Jasper's coke.

"Neither is working around old, dusty library books. That place is pretty huge- they have an impressive collection. I'm actually almost done in there, but Headmaster Caius said that I'll still have to report."

My eyes sweep over the room. There's a lot of chatter. The clinging of dishes also fills the hall. I feel a pair of eyes on me, and I automatically turn in Edward's direction. Sure enough, he's staring back at me while listening to something Kate says. I notice his eyes aren't looking at my face- no they're trained further south at my breasts. My cold temperature and the white camisole isn't doing much to conceal anything. He seems to realize that I caught him staring, and he quickly turns away. His face is flustered.

I run a hand through my chocolate brown hair. Discreetly, I move the locks of hair to cover my chest. His staring leaves me unnerved. _What give him the right? _He needs to keep his eyes to himself.

Alice pulls me out of my mental rant. "Did you finish the report for physics? It's due tomorrow." She says.

The others murmur in discontent. "I thought that shit was due Friday!" Em sighs. "How long does it have to be?"

"At least three pages," I reply. I sift through my bag. "Mine was around five. I completed it last night. Took me forever to write." I check my notebook for any loose sheets of paper. It isn't there. I empty the contents of my bag, but it's not there either.

"What's wrong?" Jasper inquires, taking in the look on my face.

I'm freaking out. "It's not in my bag. I remember placing it in there."

"Retrace your steps," He responds.

"Okay, I went home, and I retrieved it while I was there. I had wanted to drop by Banner's room to hand him the assignment early. I returned to the school building and came straight to the dining hall. And then there was that stupid slime ball game. That filler made me trip and fall. After that, Em and I walked to the table."

My cousin grimaces. His eyes gaze across the room. "I think I might know where it is." I watch as he crosses the dining hall to where the incident occurred.

"Oh god," I mutter when I see him returning with my slimed paper. It must have fallen when I fell. Some of the thick goo oozes off the bottom of the paper and falls to the floor, maintaining its shape. My report is ruined. "I spent all night working on that."

The bell rings as Jasper reaches the table. "Do you want me to-"

"Dispose of it," I tell him,struggling to maintain my composure. I grab my belongings and start off to combat class. I'm one of the first people in the hallway outside of the dining hall. The black and red floor tiles shine against the bright lights. Lamps line the white walls. My shoes sound loudly through the silence.

The gym sits to my right in a secluded wing of the school. The physical field's room gym is connected to ours by a set of double doors inside of the combat room. I open the door to the gym and make another left. This hallway takes me to the changing rooms. There are standard white shirts and black or red shorts. Our instructor issued us all a pair of black sneakers as well. Everything we wear is designed to help us move freely, and the shoes are made to absorb shock.

We keep our belongings in a storage that resembles lockers, but without the locks. I change into my black shorts. The dark fabric makes my skin look paler in contrast. I opt to keep my white tank top on. It's not exactly a requirement for us to wear the short-sleeved shirt that we were issued. So long as the top is white, we're good. If it doesn't allow us to move freely or hinders us in the gym, it's on us. I slam the black, metal locker and head to the gym.

The gym isn't an average school gym with bleachers or basketball hoops or anything like that. The room is huge, but it is more or less empty. Black rubber tiles cover the extent of the floor. The walls are barren except for _The Rules _plaque that rests on the front wall. It's a big, easily readable sign that displays the only four rules of the gym.

_#1: No powers. AT ALL._

_#2: Only 4's and 5's are permitted in the gym._

_#3: Once an opponent is rendered unconscious, the match is over._

_#4: Do not kill your opponent._

That last rule is a little alarming, but in the past, the combat instructor has been able to stop fights that seemed too aggressive. Nothing has gotten carried away to that extent, and I doubt it'll ever happen under his watch.

I am early to class, so I pass the time by stretching. I practice a few lunges first. By the time Laurent, the combat mentor, enters, we're expected to have stretched already. After a few minutes go by, people begin filing in. We all wear the same thing, so as not to give anyone an advantage. Alice and Emmett join me on the wall, and they begin warming up.

"Are you still pissed off?" Alice asks, wanting to know if it was safe or not.

I replay the events of the day. "First the stench. Then the damn slime ball. Oh yeah, the stupid doorknob wouldn't open, so we have to replace it now because my life sucks. And the iced knob is probably still lying on the floor in front the dorm room mocking me. And Cullen wouldn't keep his eyes to himself. And my report!" I groan.

"Wait, what happened to our door?!" Ali yells.

I sigh. "That's a whole different topic."

"He's looking at you again," Rose says matter-of-factly as she takes the spot to the left. Jasper enters the gym as well.

My eyes meet Edward's. He isn't even trying to hide anything this time. He's shamelessly looking me over. And then he smirks. I don't know what his problem is, but I suddenly want to kick that stupid smirk off his face. "Uh oh," Rose sings, "Bella's got her bitch face on! Something's about to happen."

I shrug, although I wear a look of determination on my face. I address Alice, "You asked if I was still mad. No, I've channeled all of that. I'm pumped now." I stand and roll my shoulders excitedly to prove my point.

Jasper shakes his head at my anxiousness. The last of the people take their places within the gym. All of us are 4's and 5's of course, as the gym rules state. It's mandatory for us to take combat class, but not optional for anyone else.

The door to the side entrance of the gym opens, and we all stand respectfully. Laurent comes in, beginning with an expert front flip, spiraling in the air twice before landing. He goes straight into a spinning heel kick. He twists 360°, and his leg slices through the air where his opponent would have been. He moves lithely and precisely. Laurent brings his hand and strikes the air at an angle with the bottom of his palm. He pauses for a moment. The rise and fall of his chest is visible. He stands straight, feet together. Then, he concludes with a bow. We do the same, lowering our eyes, as a sign of respect.

Laurent stands before us with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes sweep the line of students. He wears his dreadlocks back in a ponytail. A light sheen of sweat coats his forehead, contrasting his dark skin. His black shirt and camouflage pants give him a sense of authority and slight military-like intimidation.

We alternate activities weekly in combat class. Last week, we learned new moves, so this week we're putting them into practice. I know I'm ready for this. My body is pulsing, and I feel energized. I'm a little sorry for whoever he chooses to go against me. I'm totally in the zone.

Laurent isn't one for small talk. He takes a few steps back. I pick up from that little movement that he's made up his mind as to who'll face off first. "Ice witch..." He says, acknowledging me. He pauses to figure out who I'll go against. Hearing Laurent call me that doesn't strike a nerve as much as when others do it. For him, it's a term of endearment towards me, even though he's not the most lovable guy. I'd say we only see the tough, hard side of him, but I'm not totally sure there's another side. However, he has names for us all, and I've never actually heard him call me by my real name.

"Ice witch and… Turquoise." His eyes fall upon Alice. Her name stems from the blue-green color of her eyes.

I glance at my friend standing to the right of me. Alice's eyes widen, and she shakes her head quickly. "Oh no. No offense, Sensei, but I think Bella should go against someone else. She's getting really good, and I'm still learning. She should be matched with someone who's at par with her." Alice tries to weasel her way out of the arrangement. _Wise choice. _I don't cut any slack for anyone. Maybe on a different day, I'd try to go easy on her, but I'm in a bad mood today. She realizes this.

Alice tries to respectfully show her disagreement. Laurent no doubt admires that. "So, I see. You don't feel that you're adequate enough to face her?" Before she can try to clarify anything, he nods slowly. "Ice witch and... Pyro. You're up. No complaints."

Edward and I share a glance, our eyes finding each other. His are a little guarded, whereas mine show that I'm clearly excited and ready for this. Alice throws me an apologetic look for backing out, but it's fine now. I'll enjoy this fight much more than I would've Alice's.

He and I walk to the center of the gym. We'll be able to use the whole floor for our match. I bow at a 45° angle. He lowers himself as well, and I lock eyes with him.

We wait for Laurent's call as we get into position. It's a tense moment between us, and I'm unwilling to back down from his gaze. "Fight!" Laurent commands, and I move into action.

I maintain my proper stance, as my calculating eyes search for a weak spot. He's shifting on the balls of his feet back and forth. Both of his hands are up in the defensive position, both are slightly apart. I swing my torso as I execute a front kick aimed at his stomach, but he blocks it.

I commence a series of intricate kicks and punches, forcing him to move backward. But, he blocks each one with his hands. My brown hair is wild, in my face, and I blow it out of the way. He maintains a calm expression, whereas my frustration shows through.

With sheer determination, I twist my leg 360° into a roundhouse kick, but he ducks and tumbles to the other side of me. Now I'm irritated. He refuses to strike and keeps playing defense. Why doesn't he at least try to retaliate? It only serves to anger me further. Does he think I'm weak or something? I run towards him, faking as if I'm planning to target him again in the stomach, when I land a hard punch to his arm, hitting a pressure point. Edward's limb falls limp at his side for a moment, and he drops to the floor, supporting himself on his good arm. In a swift movement, he twirls his legs, attempting to drop kick me from that angle.

My next kick is unsuccessful. In rage, I use the palm of my hand to try to strike him. Two things happen at once. He blocks the strike with his left hand. And blinded by anger and frustration, a blast of ice leaves my palm.

A small shudder rocks through him as he stares in disbelief from me to his arm, where the frost is melting. Time seems to stand still. We stay like that, frozen in limbo. Then, he surprises me by shifting the right side of his body forward, a wave of fire emitting from his hand.

I back flip nimbly out of the way. Edward's on the floor, supported by his hands as he propels the lower half of his body, twisting his legs underneath him in a circular motion. Blasts of fire from his feet are aimed at me. This time, I perform a series of front flips toward him. I dodge each of the flaming attacks and end up landing kicks, both of my feet hit him squarely in the chest. He flies a few feet backward.

I bring my hands to my the right side of my waist, concentrating my power into one huge, condensed ball, and he does the same. We launch them at the same time, but I attempt another blast, but nothing happens. Edward meets the same result. I glance around the gym. Fellow classmates have scattered, dispersing around the room. Laurent is putting a small, black device with a red button back in his pocket. I recognize the special button as the one that is used to alert Headmaster Caius in times of emergencies. It goes directly to Caius, and he negates all of the powers within the area. That's why my abilities ceased working.

I pant, my lungs trying to take in enough oxygen. Such blasts take a lot out of me, and this one proved to be futile due to Caius. Laurent narrows his dark eyes at us, and he begins racing toward us. He crosses the gym within a second, before both Edward and I have time to move. The skilled combat teacher reaches me first, and I attempt to block his oncoming move, although he and I both know that the blocking is pointless. With quick jabs, he targets my pressure points—first, the one under my shoulder blade to the left, and then the same to my right. I recognize these as his infamous palm strikes, which he rarely uses. It involves a combination of over sixty palm strikes delivered quickly and effectively. He hardly ever shows us much of his power. It all happens within ten seconds, and when the last blow is delivered to my foot, I fall.

No more than half a minute later, I hear Edward land with a thud as well. From the floor, I attempt to move, but nothing works. I landed awkwardly with my right leg turned out from my body, but I can't feel any pain. Everything is numb.

My body unable to move, I let out a frustrated groan. Beside me Edward does the same, though I can't turn my head to see him. Instead, I look up at Laurent, glaring at him as he towers over me. He returns the expression.

"No powers, Ice Witch, you know that," He says. I try to open my mouth to curse him, but of course, my lips don't move. Instead, I glare harder, wishing they could kill him for me.

"But that's going too far don't you think?" I turn my head to the new voice, the familiar tone making me blink in surprise. Dr. Carlisle stands next to Laurent, looking down at us with worry in his eyes. Laurent shrugs.

"They broke the rules; they deserve what they got," He says, turning his back on him. Carlisle sighs.

"That's what the call to Headmaster Caius is for." The matter-of-fact tone makes the combat teacher tense. He shoots a glare over his shoulder.

"Are you questioning me in my class, Doc?" He questions. The blonde smiles politely, looking me over to see how damaged I am.

"No, not your class, just your methods," He states, turning back to the dread-headed man.

Laurent snarls. "Sounds like you're trying to pick a fight." He gestures to the sparring mat.

"C'mon Blondie, let's go a round," he says, his voice teasing, trying to goad the other on. But, knowing Dr. Carlisle as I do, he won't take the bait.

"Not now, Laurent. I need to get them someplace that is considered 'safe'." He grins a little wider, finally facing the combat instructor. "Or at least humane."

"You just signed your death warrant, huh Doc?" Laurent watches him like a predator, his eyes like daggers.

"Get in the ring, Carlisle! Your ass is mine!" He punches his palm. All of us can hear the whoosh of power that surges in the gesture alone.

"Must we use such language?" Dr. Carlisle approaches slowly. "After all," he says, sticking his hands into the pockets of his pants. He stands at the edge, just managing to stay in my view. "I said I didn't want to fight."

The darker man huffs, taking a serious stance. I wish I could talk to protest the match, but it has already begun once both are silent. I will my body to move, but to no avail. Frustratingly, I shift my eyes to watch the impending defeat of my elemental teacher.

* * *

**A/N: How's that for some action? The next chapter will have some good ol' elemental practice with the good Doctor, and a bit of suspense. I think I might send teasers to those who review. I'm excited for the next chapter. **


	10. Houston, We Have a Problem

**Chapter 10.**

**A/N: Wow, the response to last week's chapter was amazing! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed. It made my week, so I made sure to post this chapter on time for once. Thanks to my prereader, Megan, for helping me out on that fight scene. Not sure what I'd do without you. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Get in the ring, Cullen! Your ass is mine!" He punches his palm. All of us can hear the whoosh of power that surges in the gesture alone._

_"Must we use such language?" Dr. Carlisle approaches slowly. "After all," he says, sticking his hands into the pockets of his pants. He stands at the edge, just managing to stay in my view. "I said I didn't want to fight."_

_The darker man huffs, taking a serious stance. I wish I am able to talk to protest the match, but it has already begun once both are silent. I will my body to move, but to no avail. I shift my eyes to watch the impending defeat of my elemental teacher._

Laurent charges, his hand shooting out in a jab none of us could hope to counter. Carlisle easily avoids it, flicking his head to the side. If I could move my mouth, my jaw would have dropped in shock. Around me, there are several gasps in surprise. Laurent takes the minor setback, throwing another punch. Again, his opponent dodges, not even removing his hands to block.

The combat enthusiast throws more attacks, swift kicks, rapid punches, and spins that would disorient any person. Carlisle remains calm, smiling even, dodging each as a child would a ball. He circles the mat with Laurent on the offensive, each missed hit infuriating the man further. All of us are dumbfounded by the spectacle before us. This is the only time we have seen anyone, let alone gentle Dr. Carlisle, fight on par with the famous battle instructor of Volterra.

In rage, Laurent throws out a high roundhouse, this one coming close to the blonde's head. Though he evades, the hit is sharp enough to cut a few strands of hair from the side of his temple. Carlisle's smile turns feral as if the entire match was a play fight until now. He removes his hand, balling it into a fist. Laurent sees, mimicking the movement. They collide. In that instant, a wave of air passes through the room, knocking those who were standing in my vision to their knees. The immense power jars us all into a state that surpasses shock. We stare long at the two who stand fist to fist, the fair skin contrasting against the darker one. The dread-headed man grunts his distaste.

"Not bad, Doc," He says.

The other smiles wider. "You too, Sensei," He replies; both lower their fists as the tension decreases. Around me, many breaths of air are released, as if the action of air intake had been lost. Laurent stands up straight, turning on his heel to leave the sparring mat. From my direction, many students scatter to clear the way for him.

"Take those two and get out of my gym," He says without a backwards glance.

Carlisle chuckles, coming back to where we both lay. I don't hold his gaze; I can't after that. He looks around, his medium blue eyes landing on someone by the far wall. I turn my own to see Benjamin, who is looking back at him with a twinge of fear. The doctor gives him a nod before turning the opposite direction. A path is made for him as well, his shoes clicking off the concrete floor. I wonder for a moment if he will leave us there, until the ground begins to shake beneath me. I feel myself being lifted, though my back is still against the ground and Edward remains beside me. We begin to move after the teacher, our bodies still refusing to move of their own accord. We pass through the door on our earth-like cot. Utter silence greets us as we enter the hallway. We float next to Carlisle. He stares at us for a moment. Then, he smiles broadly like he always does, as if he wasn't just in a battle or evenly matched with the ferocious combatant. I blink in utter confusion.

"Let's get you two to the nurse, shall we?" He asks, knowing we can't answer. He moves ahead with us in tow. I thought this day couldn't get any more perplexing than my stretch of bad luck. I was completely, without a doubt, wrong.

* * *

I'm the first to enter the elemental room, as usual. As soon as I take my seat in front of Dr. Carlisle's desk, he walks over, nonchalantly sitting across from me on top of the metal desk. He places his hands in his jacket pockets and sighs. I'm still a little shaken up from witnessing his fight yesterday. I never would've known my elemental mentor had it in him. He was able to hold his own against Laurent better than anyone I've ever seen. It was a blessing that Carlisle happened to be walking past the combat room at the time. If it had been left to our combat teacher, we would've been left unmoving on the ground for the rest of class time.

"Laurent took it too far yesterday," Dr. Carlisle says, his thoughts in line with mine. "After Caius negated the powers, it was uncalled for to render you immovable."

"Yeah, well... His gym, his rules." I try to crack a small smile. It comes out as a grimace instead.

Gianna is next to come into the room. Carlisle sends her a warm grin. Her cheeks look flushed, and she must've come in from outside. She is bundled up with her burgundy scarf wrapped three times around her neck. Gianna looks comfortable with her dark green pullover sweater.

The others close the time gap between arriving students. The remaining Elemental students come in around the same time. Edward takes his seat beside me. It's then that I realize the impact yesterday's fight could have had. He's supposed to be assisting me in being able to change into my elemental form. What if yesterday caused him to change his mind? As much as I don't want to admit it, I need him, for now at least. I've practiced the form on my own, but it still needs work.

Carlisle moves to the front of the room. "Okay, we won't be in the classroom today, guys. We'll be having class in the field of the eastern courtyard. So, let's go ahead and transition."

The seven of us walk through the back door, and around the back of the school to the opposite courtyard. Though the walk is peaceful and quiet, my thoughts are all jumbled. I've admitted- at least mentally- that I need him to advance. In order to accomplish this, I'll have to remain on his good side. Perhaps, I should apologize. It's hard to come to terms with that.

We sit on the grass, forming a circle around Carlisle. Just as I make up my mind to talk to Edward, he speaks first. "Bella, I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have initiated the elemental fight."

My mouth opens only to close in confusion. I shake my head, wondering if the events played in fast forward in his mind to where the fight was blurred. It is obvious, though. "You didn't start it. I did."

"Look, maybe yesterday was just a bad day for us both."

"I suppose," I reply.

He switches gears easily. "So, are we still on for this Saturday?"

I nod, finding it easier to do that than to try to keep up with him. I move to sit cross-legged on the grass. Once we've all settled down, Carlisle speaks, "This week, we'll begin with flight. Each of you, with your unique powers are capable of flight or something similar to it. The goal is basically to gain an aerial advantage."

Upon scanning the faces of my fellow classmates, I notice Benjamin wears a skeptical look. Carlisle picks up on that. "You think you're tied to the earth because you work with the ground?"

Benjamin replies, "I understand what you are saying, Doctor Carlisle. I just don't see that it's possible for me."

"Let's find out then." Carlisle rubs his hands together. "I've been itching to test out my theory on flight for your earth powers."

We all stand off to the side to allow Carlisle space to practice. The wind is strong today. The breeze picks up my hair, causing it to dance and tickle my cheeks. I place my hands in my pockets. The weather feels great, just the way I like it. Unfortunately, the snow melted last week, but it is supposed to snow again later this week. I take a sniff of the air that the breeze carried. Fresh and clean. The stench wore off last night. Gladly, it didn't linger. The 'Skunk' must not have advanced his abilities to the point where his his stench is long-lasting. He's probably a level two.

Dr. Carlisle reaches down and picks up a pebble. "Think fast!" He yells. He flicks his wrist, tossing the stone with lightning speed. Benjamin holds up his hand reflexively as if to catch the rock. However, it doesn't make contact with his palm. Instead, it hovers inches away from it. A slow smile lights Benjamin's face. The small rock spins lazily in a circle above his hand. Suddenly, the rock is flying away... right into Carlisle's waiting hand. He's successfully acquired Benjamin's earth powers.

"What do you plan on doing?" Edward asks him. Carlisle begins walking toward the nearest tree which towers several feet above us.

"You'll see," Carlisle responds. He grabs hold of the trunk of the tree the best he can. The base of it is pretty wide. "Think you can give me a hand, Gia?" He asks. That's his nickname for her. Dr. Carlisle's nicknames aren't anywhere as random and straightforward as Laurent's are.

She nods. The wind whips her red hair around her face. The leaves blow around her, seemingly forming a halo of brown leaves. A large branch extends from the tree, and it grasps hold of our mentor. Seeing Gianna in action is always interesting. She does things in a way that really proves the plants are alive. The bough acts as a person, lifting Carlisle higher in the air. Gianna moves with fluid motion. Her arms are extended from her body. She raises her palms higher, and the tree is eager to do her bidding.

"Let me know when you're up high enough," Gianna calls out.

"Just a little farther," Carlisle yells down. He's lifted a few more feet in the air before he speaks again. "This height is fine!"

We're all wondering what exactly he's about to do when he tells Gianna to drop him. The six of us share looks mixed with worry and curiosity. Gianna hesitates. "I'll be okay!" Our mentor insists. She glances from him to the ground that is at least thirty feet below him.

"Um," Gianna takes a deep breath. "Alright." She makes a motion with her hands as if she were unclenching her fists. And, our mentor falls from the sky.

It all seems to happen in slow motion. His form grows bigger as he sails to the Earth. It looks as if he's trying to gain control during freefall, as if he's trying to right himself or balance. I watch as he tucks in his legs. When he releases them, it's as if he's standing straight, although he's clearly trying to gain his balance. There's at least a ten feet gap between him and the ground now. Out of nowhere, a field of light green, velvet-looking leaves that seem to be dusted with white, creep up, covering the ground. The plants intertwine, tightly locking, and they grow at least a foot high. '_To cushion his fall_,' I realize.

I spare a glance at Gianna. She shakes her head to as if to say that she hadn't done it. "Lamb's ears," She whispers. "Incredibly soft."

All of a sudden, Carlisle seems to launch himself forward, as if taking a step. I feel the ground move beneath us. A huge pillar of rock rises from the ground to meet Carlisle's foot in the air. He flings his body forward again. This time, the movement is firmer, surer. The pillar behind him falls and reforms into solid ground behind him. Another grows to meet him. After the first few steps, he starts getting the hang of it. He's able to propel his body forward quickly. It looks as if he's skating, the way the ground moves beneath him. The more steps he takes, the higher the rocks take him, and pretty soon, he's manipulating the earth from high in the sky.

We stare in wonder at the sight. Benjamin looks excited, no doubt eager to try it out on his own. Edward wears a similar expression. Gianna and Eleazar seem impressed, although they remain silent and straight-faced. Whereas, Kate is loudly cheering Carlisle on.

Carlisle turns to move in our direction. He leans forward as he goes, twisting and propelling his body to be most advantageous. As he approaches us, he comes to a stop on a tower of rock. Carlisle crosses his arms over his chest. Then, the ground rises to form a ramp from where he stands to a few feet directly in front of our semi-circle. The crust beneath him appears to roll, and it drives him forward.

He comes to a stop mere feet before us. A smile dons his face. "So," He says, "Who's first?"

* * *

We plan to spend the next hour practicing our newly discovered techniques. Benjamin is the first to work on his earth skating, as he now knows how his works. After Benjamin's first run, Carlisle has us regroup to warm up before we begin.

The six of us sit on a bed of grass that Gianna provides. It's fresh and a healthy green in comparison to the dead yellow brown that covers the ground.

Our warm-up starts with deep breathing. It sounds trivial, but the deep breathing is a great place to start. It calms us, and it allows us to clear our minds and focus. I inhale and exhale the cool December air three times. We move on to the box exercises. These are our regular exercises, and we do it so often, I can do it in my sleep.

The box exercise entails us using our element to construct a box out of it. I build a cube of ice in my hands, satisfied when I realize I'm the first to finish. My work produces a perfect cube. All sides are equal. I place my work in my lap. I watch as the others complete their exercise. Benjamin uses the dirt to his advantage. He molds it into a rough shape. Then, he hardens it to the composition of a rock. Benjamin now has a prism shape. He twists his hand to the side as if he's going to do a karate chop, and he slices parts of the stone to give it its cube shape.

Thousands of tiny particles of sand leave Eleazar's hands. They move purposefully through the air. Eleazar forges the sand into a box without actually touching it.

Beside him, roots spring up out of the ground. The twigs weave and intertwine to form Gianna's box. Meanwhile, Kate emits an electric blast from her palms. She harnesses the energy and compresses it to form a bright white cube. It's practically pulsing, as if searching for a route to conduct the electricity. Kate prevents that from occurring.

My eyes reluctantly drift to Edward, who sits to my left. It's taking him a moment to get the flames going. The wind extinguishes his flames the first few times, so he adds strength to them. He attempts to form and manipulate the fire, but the flames have a mind of its own. Edward stares at the inferno, and I can see the red-orange reflect in his eyes. The flames condense into the proper shape, but it's still a little wild. It sounds strange, but I swear I hear him 'shh' the blaze. Immediately, the flames still and obey him. Edward wears a triumphant smile.

Dr. Carlisle walks around the circle, approving our constructs. "Looking good. Let's move on to blasts."

We continue like that for maybe ten minutes, before we actually get into flight practice. I stay seated on the cool grass, determining the method I'd like to try. I doubt my ice powers will work the same as Benjamin's earth skating. I watch as Gianna darts into the distant forest. When I squint my eyes, I can make out her small form running through the tree tops. It's hard to see, but the branches appear to bend in her direction as she runs. The motion is continuous, and it seems as if she's surfing along the limbs.

I glance around me. Benjamin is practicing farther away. Carlisle is earth-skating as well. Eleazar is nowhere to be found. No doubt, he's somewhere attempting his idea for flight. Kate and Edward remain in their spots as well, brainstorming.

I sigh. I know there's a way I can do this. It has to be the most effective- to be able to move quickly, almost fluidly if need be. I must be able to reach heights with this technique. An idea enters my mind.

With a face of determination, I rise from my position. I try to space myself away from Benjamin and the forest where Gianna practices. I roll my neck and crack my knuckles. To reach a high altitude, I'll have to find my own way up. I slip my boots and socks off of my feet, and leave them on the dry pasture. The grass feels foreign against my toes. After taking a deep breath, I begin running. My arm is extended in front of me, and my hand rests at an angle. A huge blast of ice spreads out from my palm, immediately icing the ground before me as soon as contact is made. I use the ice to construct a ramp as I move. I manipulate the frozen liquid to where the ice almost pulls me forward. It helps that I'm going barefoot. There's less traction, and of course, the cold poses no threat.

I concentrate on the process. My ice blasts stay three feet or so ahead of me, creating my path. I'm so focused that I don't even notice when I'm joined by another person. "Nice ice surfing," Dr. Carlisle comments. He's beside me, separated by a yard. Both of us are around twenty feet in the air. He copies my movement, matching me in stance and speed.

"Thanks," I reply.

"First try?"

"Yes."

"Impressive." Carlisle stops producing ice blasts, and a tangle of branches appear in the air before him. He salutes me, and he takes off in another direction. I take note of my surroundings. He joins Gianna. She's no longer in the forest, having made her way out into the open space. The way they made the path of plants is interesting. There are reinforcements of roots skyrocketing from the ground to the bottom of the pathway, tying the sticks together. I add that idea to my ramp of ice. I double-back and add to the structure where I see fit.

The atmosphere of the sky changes. I can feel it. It's no longer as cold as it was before. The clouds grow dark, and begin to gather. A bolt of lightning shoots by me, not ten feet away. Thunder does not follow. Kate is the only one still left on the ground below. Her eyes are visible from my height. Both of them are glowing an electric blue. Another lightning strikes, and I figure it's best to move away from her area.

I change course. As I'm trying to plot my new direction, I'm not paying as much attention to what's immediately before me. And I realize too late that I've encroached upon Eleazar's territory. I almost run into him. The resulting ice is produced shakily. Eleazar, on a cloud of sand, barely makes it out of the way in time. He quickly jerks to the left to steer out of my path. However, he leaves his sand on my ice in the process. I don't have time to avoid it, and the moment my foot makes contact with the grainy material, I lose my balance. My arms and legs begin flailing as I struggle to maintain my balance almost fifty feet in the air. The traction increases, yet I still slip on the ice. My left foot reaches the end of the ramp first. It goes flying off the edge, the rest of me isn't far behind.

As I fall, the wind whips my hair around my face making it hard for me to see. I attempt to shoot an ice blast in front of me, hoping that the direction was down toward the ground. But, I'd have no way of knowing for sure. My heart seems to drop to the pit of my stomach as I attempt to move uselessly through the air. I brace myself for impact, and I remember it's better to land on the balls of my feet to absorb the shock. I struggle to tuck in my legs. I try one last futile effort an ice blast. Of course, nothing works.

Then suddenly, I'm no longer in free-fall. I feel a pair of strong, warm arms under me. My eyes flutter open to find myself suspended thirty feet in the air. I push my hair out of my face so as to get a better look. The person who caught me is none other than Edward. He looks me over concernedly. "Are you alright?" He questions.

"I'm fine." I struggle in his arms, but he's not having it.

Carlisle rides over on his mass of a sand cloud. He sits on it as if it were a magic carpet. Our mentor stops a few feet away from where we're hovering. It dawns on me that Edward doesn't seem to be standing on a construct of his own, and a glance below us confirms it. His legs stand straight with easy balance. A steady flame leaves his feet, keeping us in the air. "Jet propulsion," He explains.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Our mentor inquires. His eyes roam from Edward to me.

"I caught her," Edward goes on to say. "She says she's alright." I give him a look. I can speak for myself.

"Well, this is a good stopping point." Carlisle decides. In a loud voice, he continues, "Let's return to the circle. Nice work today!" He flies away, manipulating the sand underneath him as he loses altitude.

Once more, I try to free myself from his hold, but he isn't budging. I note that this is the closest I've been to him. He's uncomfortably warm as he holds me against his chest, and I feel like I'm sweating already. "Let me go," I tell him.

"We're pretty high up. Are you sure about that?" He counters, a playful light in his eyes.

I don't find it amusing. "I'll construct a way for me to get down. Your temperature is crazy, and you're suffocating me!" I groan.

"I highly doubt that you're suffocating."

"And what makes you say that?"

He shrugs. "You're still talking, aren't you?"

I glare at him, but I don't have time to make a snark remark. He's already descending rapidly towards the ground at an angle. I have no choice but to pull him closer to me to ensure that I don't slip out of his arms in the process.

As soon as we reach the ground, I'm already climbing out of his arms. I dust myself off and mumble something incoherent directed toward Edward. He seems unaffected and somewhat smug. I didn't kick him hard enough yesterday obviously. We regroup, forming a semi-circle with the others. I realize that Kate never joined us in the sky. Perhaps, she was having trouble with today's practice. Usually, she's able to easily catch on. I suppose lightning is different from our other elements, but Edward was able to find a way to conduct flight with his jet propulsion. It'll take some time, but she'll get it eventually.

"Today, we just covered a little of flight and surfing. We still have a long way to go." Carlisle assures us. He wears a bright, reassuring smile. Kate's eyes that had been trained on the ground finally look up to meet his.

We're dismissed. Edward stays behind to melt my ramp of ice, and Gianna remains to allow the grass and plants to absorb the excess water. Her pathway of twigs and branches returns to the ground. I pick up my shoes and socks on the way to my dorm. I feel unusually cool as I walk, and I remember that Edward had his arms around me for a while. The warmth has faded away. It feels even weirder now. The cold has never felt _cold _to me before, but it does now. I realize that although my brain doesn't, my body seems to miss his warmth. I shake that thought from my mind the moment it enters.

* * *

It's Saturday afternoon. True to Edward's word, we meet up to practice elemental forms again. When I enter the southern courtyard, he's already seated at one of the picnic tables, waiting for me. Edward is one of the only students here. The courtyard is pretty empty for a Saturday. He stands as I approach. He's dressed appropriately. He's got two different sweaters on, a black skull cap, and black snowboots.

"Hey," Edward greets. I fail to hide my smirk at the amount of clothes he's wearing. "What?"

I tuck a few stands of hair behind my ear. "You're just always so bundled up," I reply.

"Do you expect me to freeze to death?" He pauses, "Wait, don't answer that." With a sigh, he removes the outer sweater. "The hat and the boots stay."

"I never told you to take anything off in the first place." I find the banter between us kind of easy. It's a step up from arguing back and forth all the time.

"Fine. Your call this time. Where to?"

I dig the toe of my boot into the packed snow, forming a dent in the white stuff. "Well, maybe we could go somewhere on campus this time. There's this great spot in the forest, near where the tree line meets the lake. It's a pretty nice area."

"Sounds good to me," He responds. "Lead the way."

Edward and I walk through the forest. I stay a couple of paces ahead of him. I point out the white marks on the trees that create a path to the lake. Not many people know about the place back there, not that too many people would just venture out into the forest anyway. We settle into a comfortable silence, and the only noise I hear is the sound of our feet trudging across the snow. It's only three feet or so deep, but I love it.

The air is crisp. The sight of the trees around us reminds me of the pine trees of Washington. Forks had so many trees and a lot of rainfall. I could literally spend hours outside.

_-Flashback-_

_I'm riding my bike down the street. The mighty pine trees line either side of the street, and the strong scent fills my nostrils. The black bike beneath me is no longer very black. It's old, rusted, and small. The cushion is tattered and isn't very comfortable. But, it still gets me to my destination, so it's good in my books. There's no space in the garage for it with all of my dad's supplies, so for the past three years, it's sat outside. However, I'm 13 now._

_I make a left onto his street. Houses begin to mingle in with the treeline. His house is the third on the right. It really stands out in a sea of older homes. His mom had recently renovated it and given it a paint job. It now sports a classic white look. By the time I make it to his fence, he's already there opening it for me._

_"Hey Jasper," I greet. He takes the bike from me and rests it against the white picket fence._

_His black gloved hands check the gears of my bike. "It was loud. Maybe, I should oil it."_

_"It's old," I reply._

_My cousin moves some wild strands of ash-blonde hair away from his face. It appears a shade of brown in the sunlight. He remains in a kneeled position on the ground. His hair color is a mystery to our family of dark brown haired people. He and I don't look much alike. My eyes are weird. The color of the pair changes throughout the seasons. Right now, it's a murky blue. In the winter, they appear gray, but in the summer, they're blue. Whereas, Jasper's are a dark gray all the time. We share the same pale skin and slim nose, but that's about as far as it goes._

_"Bella,dear!" Aunt J appears in the doorway. She bears a tray of deserts. "I baked cookies. Come try them!"_

_Jasper sighs. I give him a look, but he replies with one I can't decipher. I take two of her oatmeal and raisin cookies. She resembles my mom very closely in looks. And according to Aunt J, in personality as well. I wouldn't know anything from my father. She is a subject that he refuses to speak about. I'm not sure what he'd do if I even mentioned her name. Thirteen years and it's still a sore subject. Perhaps their resemblance is the reason I'm over at Jasper's almost every day. At least, I'd like to delude myself into believing that. But really, it's a means of escape._

_Jasper offhandedly tells her we'll be around, and she leaves. We travel around the back of the house. It's hard to notice amidst the plentiful trees and green flora, but there are two loose planks in the back fence. That's how Jasper and I get away from it all. Where we can truly be ourselves. To an extent though. Not even Jasper knows my secret. I wish I could tell him, but he'd probably freak out. I'm not about to lose my only friend._

_I devour the last cookie before I dart through the hole in the fence. Jasper replaces the wooden planks into their original position._

_He takes note of my demeanor. His dark gray pools search my blue ones for a detection of anything remotely off. "Charlie again?" Jasper asks, his voice low and guarded. I nod, and Jazz sighs. "You've got to tell someone."_

_I've heard this all before from him. "No," I reply. "Nothing's even going on. It's not abuse."_

_"It's practically neglect." He counters._

_"He's around..."_

_"Physically perhaps, but mentally? Emotionally?" My cousin crosses his arms, something he does once he knows he's won the argument._

_"Can we talk about this later?" I plead._

_His stance softens. "Fine."_

_We approach our spot in the forest. The two of us plop down onto the wet grass. It rains almost every day of the year here, but even more so because it's springtime. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bag of God's gift to mankind- Oreos._

_I stuff at least five of them into my palms. My hand accidentally brushes his bare wrist in the process. We both recoil at the touch. That's one of the only places on his body that is exposed. He always wears a lot of clothes. The cap that he wears covers his head, including his ears. His face is usually the only thing I can see of him._

_He probably pulls away because of my coldness. I scoot back to my spot and eat my black and white cookies in silence. I pull the chocolate cookies apart and scrape off the cream to eat separately._

_I'm not surprised to hear Jasper's next words. "Your hands are cold."_

_"It's cold out here." I use my standard reply._

_Jasper shakes his head. "I checked the weather before we left. It's 56° F. Not _too_ cold."_

_I shrug, and he thankfully drops the subject. My eyes find the hand that holds the bag of Oreos. Jazz extends his arm, holding them out to me. I take the bag to retrieve it, and then, I return it to him. "Dang cous'," he mumbles. "You ate them all."_

_"I left you one." The fourteen-year-old glares at me in response. "Were they not for me?"_

_He rolls his eyes and eats the last Oreo. I don't usually eat these cookies without milk, but that would have been a little difficult for him to bring._

_"What are you thinking about?" He asks._

_"A cold, tall glass of milk."_

_"You're cold enough already." Jasper reaches into his pocket. Chains that he's attached from his frontbelt loop to his back pocket rattle while he fiddles around. He pulls some cloth material out and throws it to me. It lands in my lap._

_I brush the cookie crumbs off with my jeans, and I examine the objects. "Gloves?" I inquire, holding up the white pair._

_He nods. "You're always cold. Maybe gloves will help."_

_I slip them on. They're similar to the pair that he wears except they're more feminine, of course. And the pair is a little big on my hands, but I imagine I'll grow into them. His gift, although something small, means a lot to me._

_Jasper fidgets with his hands. He fiddles with the chains of his dark jeans. His head hangs low, but his eyebrows are drawn close with concentration or frustration. "What's going on?" I ask. The good thing about our relationship is that we look out for each other. Although he doesn't live too far away from me, truth be told, the two of us only became close more recently, within about two years. Both of us kind of stayed to ourselves within groups or crowds of people, and once we got to know each other, we grew to protect and look out for one another._

_"Nothing." He quickly says. He lets out a sigh, and his next words are jumbled. "I mean... Doyouthinkyoucankeepasecret?" It looks as if he regrets the words as soon as he says it, but it's too late to return them._

_I'm not sure why he has to ask. "Of course." I nod. I draw closer to him._

_He pulls off his cap and runs a pale hand through his mop of hair. It no longer looks matted down like hat hair typically does. It's a few minutes before he speaks again. I patiently wait. Finally, Jasper says, "This may kinda take you by surprise. Promise me you won't blow a gasket."_

_I grin. "Blow a gasket?" His eyes stare into mine, conveying that this is serious and important._

_"I'm serious, Bella. I don't want you to freak out or anything."_

_"Just say it."_

_"It's more of a demonstration actually." Jasper doesn't seem too confident. The way he's acting shows that he's unsure of himself or what he's about to do. He stands up shakily and manages to remove one of his black leather gloves. Jasper places his hand on the bark of the tall pine tree. My eyes stare at him with keen interest, and he watches me carefully. His brow furrows in concentration. All the while, his eyes remain trained on me._

_It's difficult to believe what I see before my very eyes. The entire tree disappears, leaving a billow of smoke and a huge pile of dust... or is that ash?_

_My eyes move from the residue to Jasper's hand. He notices my line of sight, and quickly replaces the glove over his hand. He looks at me as if he expects me to run at any moment. I feel glued to my spot. I know Jasper is expecting a response, but I don't know what to think. Should I be scared? Relieved?_

_"It's disintegration- I think..." He says. His eyes are guarded, watching me closely._

_I realize I'm staring, open-mouthed at him. My lips press together, as I gather my thoughts. "So that really just happened?" I question for confirmation. "I didn't just make that up?"_

_He shakes his head. I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Is that a bad thing?" He inquires, his face full of worry._

_"No," I hastily reply. "The opposite, actually. I have something to show you as well..."_

_-End Flashback-_

"You want to practice here?" Edward asks. We've reached the spot in the forest. It's really nice and serene.

"Sure. Why not?" I reply. He gestures to the snow around us. "Oh," I say. It's not a problem for me. I extend my arms out and press my hands together. I take a deep breath and open my arms widely. The snow parts into two sections, and it clears the area in a good 300 feet in front of me.

"Cool," He replies. The snow is out of sight, but the ground remains a little moist. It'll be hard to practice with the ground like this. "Do you mind if I...?"

"Go ahead," I tell him.

Edward's eyes focus on the ground. After a few seconds, I can feel how toasty it's getting. Once he's done, the ground is dry, and we're ready to practice.

He and I work in relative silence, practicing our elemental blasts. I combine steps and positions we learned from combat along with my ice powers to make a deadly combination. Meanwhile, Edward places both of his hands at his sides, palms facing the ground. Flames leave his hands, and he propels himself upward using his jet propulsion. He flies around like that for some minutes.

When he comes back down, he melts the ice that's left over from my work-out. Edward decides that it's a good time to begin elemental form practice. "I've been practicing it myself," I inform him.

"I figured you would. How far along have you gotten?" He inquires.

"I still can't freeze my entire body, but I can get a good portion of it."

He switches to his infernal self. "Attacks are stronger when you're in your elemental form," Edward says. To demonstrate, he shoots a few of his regular fire blasts, but they travel long-range and singe the air in the process. I can smell the smoke. "Now watch this." He crouches down. In a quick move, he releases at least twenty blasts simultaneously in various directions.

One heads in my direction. I quickly try to counter it with an ice blast, but Edward's right. It's too powerful. My attack is easily canceled out, and I don't have time to try anything else. I duck, and it sails right past me. I cool the air right above me, remembering how his previous blast even heated the air.

"Shit," I hear Edward mutter.

When I stand up, I notice that the flames hit their targets, consuming grass, tree limbs, and other foliage. Edward is already on it. He stands maybe ten feet away, still in elemental form, calming down the blaze to the north of us. There are small flames in all directions, so I decide to help him out. I'm cooling the air and frosting the areas to the south that are affected, when all of sudden, a red-orange blur starts running toward me.

Before Edward reaches me, he reverts to his original self. "Bella, look out!" His eyes are trained on something above my head.

I glance up, and all I can make out are the bright yellow-orange flames falling rapidly towards me. Before I can act, the wind is knocked out of me. I hit the ground, tumbling from the force. I'm slightly disoriented, but I'm aware of two things when I finally am able to stand aright.

The first is that Edward quite possibly saved my life. He pushed me out of the way of the falling, flaming branch. Instead of me, he took the hit. The flames don't affect him, I think, but the tree limb surely does. He hasn't moved from his place on the ground. His eyes haven't even fluttered. I quickly put out the fire, only to realize that his clothes are slightly singed. Out of all the times I've seen him at work, his clothes have never burned. Something's off. It's so unusual.

My attention leaves Edward. Heavy smoke fills my lungs, as the air grows darker. I can hear the crackle of the flames, and that's when I realize the second thing. With Edward unconscious, he is no longer controlling the blaze, and now it's raging. I look around myself to confirm what I already know. The forest is alight.

* * *

**A/N: I have been planning that last scene since day one. And I enjoy writing the flashbacks. I think it kind of shows Bella in a different perspective, you know, before she got all cold-hearted. So last week's response was favorable, and I sent out teasers of this chapter. Did you all like that? I might continue it. Tell me your thoughts.**


	11. Tell Me Why

**Chapter 11.**

**A/N: I didn't mean to leave you all hanging for this long, but unfortunately, life got in the way of my updating. But thanks for putting up with me.**

* * *

_I'm aware of two things when I finally am able to stand aright._

_The first is that Edward quite possibly saved my life. He pushed me out of the way of the falling, flaming branch. Instead of me, he took the hit. The flames don't affect him, I think, but the tree limb surely does. He hasn't moved from his place on the ground. His eyes haven't even fluttered. I quickly put out the fire, only to realize that his clothes are slightly singed. Out of all the times I've seen him at work, his clothes have never burned. Something's off. It's so unusual._

_My attention leaves Edward. Heavy smoke fills my lungs, as the air grows darker. I can hear the crackle of the flames, and that's when I realize the second thing. With Edward unconscious, he is no longer controlling the blaze, and now it's raging. I look around myself to confirm what I already know. The forest is alight._

I cough and sputter when I inhale. I need to do something about the heavy smoke. But first, I need to move Edward away from the flames, if he really is vulnerable when he's unconscious. I drag his body to a safe spot, away from the brute of the blaze.

I'm sweating like crazy, and my eyes are watering. With a string of coughs, I walk to the center of the clearing near where the lake sits. The flames extend in all directions around me. I cool the air, hoping to dispel the smog. Lowering the temperature does nothing, so I take a deep breath, filling my lungs. My mouth parts and I exhale, letting out a huge gust of cold air.

The smoke clears, and I'm able to take a clear inhalation. The world around me is no longer clouded by the thick darkness. The flames rage around us, not even ten feet away. Colors of bright yellows, oranges, and reds line my sight.

I use my combination from earlier, fusing combat moves with frozen assaults. My best attacks do nothing to the fire, and it melts on contact. The blaze refuses to halt until it's devoured every tree and bush of the forest. My ice surfing would be of no use amidst the fire, and I'm not capable of using my regular ice blasts. I'm left with little options.

An idea clicks into my mind. It's very risky, but I don't really have a choice. It's not as if I can flee, and I can't walk through fire either. Unless I act, I'll be trapped within the flames, and my nightmares will become reality. I remain still, attempting to concentrate despite my surroundings.

It happens faster than I thought it would. A coldness sets in. It's comfortable—inviting, even. I allow it to take over me. It seeps from my face, down to my feet. I'm aware when the change is complete because I can't move at all. I'm frozen in this position. I can't breathe either. I've never made it this far using this technique before. My mind automatically panics because nothing happens when I try to exhale. It's like my lungs don't work. This is my elemental form. I _am _ice.

I rack my brain to think of a solution. I can return to my normal form, but I feel like our only chance of surviving is if I access this. I realize that I won't get anywhere unless I calm down before I cause myself to have a panic attack. Little by little, I compose myself.

I take a new approach, molding the ice. I'm careful with it, so as not to break it. I don't know what would happen if I were to shatter. I'm able to mold and bend the ice as if it is a liquid. There is no time to practice my newfound ability. The flames lick the grass a mere five feet away. I consider forming a dome of ice around Edward to provide a little shelter, but decide it'll be best if he doesn't end up with hypothermia.

After taking a deep breath, I channel all of my energy and focus it into one attack. The energy escapes my body in a wave of ice beams. They extend in all directions, coating the blaze with a layer of frost. The flames around me are easily quelled, leaving the scorched ground. I condense a blast into a spherical shape and launch it in the direction of the fiercest blaze. As soon as it makes contact, there's an explosion of sorts. Everything is iced over.

I examine what little is left of the fire. There's just one small section left of the area where the inferno is staying strong. It's amazing how greatly my attacks are multiplied while I'm in my elemental form.

I turn my attention to the lake behind me. It's nestled within the trees. With a sweep of my hands, I draw out the water, turning it into frozen water, and I hurl it at the remaining flames. That takes care of all that is left. My arms fall to my sides, and I feel the effects of the tremendous amount of power that it took. Involuntarily, I make the change back to my normal self. My body can't handle its new form just yet. That will take practice. I conjure up enough energy for my final move.

All around me, the scent of burnt wood is strong. Everything within sight is scorched. Trees, once a healthy color, are now either singed with black or reduced to dark ash. I wipe my forehead and heave a tired sigh. The clouds begin to grow heavy and gather. They give way to snow. It is not a light snow, more like a small blizzard. I want the fresh snow to cover all of this. I sway at first, but muster the strength to walk. My muscles ache with each step I take toward Edward.

I survey the damage. There's a burn across my cheek. The hot sting is now apparent. I cry out in pain as my fingertips touch the swollen, sensitive skin. A few hot tears run from my eyes, burning as they travel. There's a gash down my right arm. It's a little bloody, but nothing major. There are a few scratches here and there across my skin, but this is the least of my worries.

Edward's lying on his back, eyes closed. He hasn't come to yet. I ignore the harsh strain on my muscles as I lift his body. He's a lot heavier than I thought he'd be, but maybe it's all dead-weight. I end up wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling him along.

It's a slow process, but we make progress. The scent of burnt nature fills my nostrils as I follow the white markers on the trees. Before we approach the outskirts of the forest, we encounter what looks to be a search party.

"Bella!" Alice and Rosalie wrap their arms around me. The group around us includes the other elementals and Jasper. Jazz takes Edward from me as Alice demands for details. "What the hell happened?!" Her wild eyes find mine. "The truth, if you don't mind."

"Later," I say. "Edward needs to be taken to the clinic." The others nod in agreement.

"Emmett!" Rose yells. Seconds later, he swoops down from the sky along with Dr. Carlisle. Carlisle rushes over to Edward to inspect him. Once he looks him over, he has Edward handed to Emmett. Everyone is crowded around Edward except for Gianna. She hangs back, leaning against a mighty oak tree. We lock eyes for a split second, and then her gaze returns to her feet. She tucks a lock of her red hair behind her ear. It's straight for once. Usually, her tresses are wild and unruly.

Something's wrong. "Are you okay?" I mouth. When she doesn't respond, I walk to where she stands.

Her face looks pained. Her slim nose is scrunched up, and her green eyes are big and wide. "The trees are crying," She mumbles. And that's when I realize that although Gianna has that tough, wild exterior, she's still a fifteen year old girl.

We're all hurting in a way. I've never been particularly good with emotions, but it just comes as an instinct to wrap her in my arms. "I know," I tell her. "I'm sorry."

Kate walks over to us. "I don't mean to interrupt anything, but Bella, you're bleeding. I think you should go to the clinic as well."

"I'm fine." My eyes search for Edward, but I find neither him nor Emmett.

Carlisle puts a hand on my forearm. "Please. Don't be so stubborn. I'll carry you there if I need to."

I sigh and agree to go. He asks Benjamin and Gianna to stay and help replant what was lost. I know trees were scorched and burned to the roots. Others have frozen and fallen limbs.

Dr. Carlisle uses the remaining super strength he has from Emmett to smoothly carry me toward the school. My eyelids feel heavy and keep threatening to close. I grow tired of trying to fight sleep and give in to the darkness.

* * *

I had let my guard down. From the time I saw the painting in the ESP room, I already had knowledge that the forest would become alight. I didn't know how it would take place, but I should have prevented it. I open my eyes to find myself in a hospital bed. Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett are seated in black chairs against the white wall. With groggy eyes, I search for a clock with the time.

"It's 6:20." Rosalie informs me.

"You guys have been sitting here for half an hour? It's dinnertime. Go eat. I'm fine." And I do feel fine, better than before. I start throwing the sheets off of me.

Emmett's stomach growls. "I could go for some food…"

I join them at the door. "Are you sure you're all better?" Alice questions. When I nod, she says, "Then tell us what happened."

I sigh. "Edward has been helping me train. That's what we were doing in the forest. We weren't around so many trees at the time. He was showing me a new move, but the tree caught on fire, and it spread pretty quickly. He was trying to push me out of the way of a falling, flaming branch, but he got hit by it."

They share similar looks of astonishment. Alice says, "You could've just told us something was going on between you two."

"There's nothing _going on_." I reply dryly. "My feelings haven't changed towards him."

Jasper eyes me dubiously, but I maintain a cool composure.

"So… food?" Em reminds us. We walk out of the small room. "We can talk about the pyro later. If I don't get any food in my system now, I'm gonna starve."

The level of the school that we're at right now is the basement. This level includes the training rooms on one side of the floor, and the medical wing on the other. This area is home to healers and the like. The five of us walk toward the elevator that sits at the end of the hallway. If we're in the medical wing, then that means Edward has to be in one of these rooms.

Jasper lingers as the others go into the elevator. I think he's about to tell me something about the investigation he's still conducting, but he surprises me by saying, "He's in the room two doors down to the right."

"What?" I'm taken off guard.

"Edward. I haven't gone in there to see how he's faring, but I know Angela's in there. She's also the one who healed you… Well, she did her best with the burn."

My fingers automatically reach up, feeling the skin of my cheek. It's rough, marred by the previous events. I had forgotten about the burn. I should care. I should feel upset. I should feel _something_. But I don't. I'm numb. Or maybe I'm just too tired _to _care.

Jasper leaves me standing there in the middle of the hallway, catching the elevator before it leaves. I hear Alice ask him about me, but he whispers something too low for my ears to pick up. After a few seconds of deliberation, I decide to check on Edward. My legs propel me forward across the freshly waxed floor. I am able to see my reflection on the black tiles. The burn is still etched on the skin of my cheek. It's not as prominent as before, but there's no mistaking that it's there. There aren't traces of any of the scratches and the wound that adorned the length of my arm. Minus the burn, I look better than before, fresh and renewed.

I knock lightly on the door, and Angela opens it. The girl, assumingly my age, stands before me looking professional in her white lab coat. Her hair is tied in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. "Oh, Bella. You're up. I'm sorry about the burn. Burns and scars take a longer amount of time to heal, I'm afraid. When you were brought in, I examined it. It was a second degree burn. Very swollen and red. Thankfully, it wasn't blistering. I did the best I could, and brought it down to a mild first degree appearance. I tried to heal and repair the tissue." She says, and quickly adds, "It's not as bad as it sounds though. The skin is only red there."

I really do appreciate her kindness. The healers probably garner the most respect out of all the fields here. Angela has done a lot for me, and for that I am grateful. "It's fine," I assure her. "Thank you." I allow my eyes to roam over the boy lying on the cot. He wears a frown and the creases of his forehead are visible, but his eyes are closed.

Angela notices me watching him. "He hasn't woken up yet. We had an I.V. in him earlier, but only to give him fluids. Other than that, he's basically sleeping. There was a mild concussion."

"Oh." I find the black seat in the corner of the room and sit. "You should eat before dinner is over, Angela. I can take it from here."

"Oh no. I couldn't." She declines, busying herself at the counter across the room. She returns various medical tools to their proper drawers and storage.

"I insist. Go."

Although clearly hesitant, she finally exits the room, leaving the two of us alone. My eyes remain focused on him, while my mind is fixated elsewhere. I keep replaying the scene when he pushed me out of harm's way and took the hit himself. If he hadn't acted in such a way, I could've died from the impact of the tree on my skull. My reflexes need some work. I should've seen the branch and reacted fast enough to freeze it.

One question keeps nagging me, lingering in my mind. _Why? _Why did he save me? Why did he act so quickly as if it were instinct or something? My previous attitude towards him hadn't exactly been favorable. His actions baffle me, for sure.

"Bella?" My eyes snap up to focus on Edward's face. He looks a little puzzled. Then I see the realization dawn in his dark green eyes. "Did anybody…" Edward pauses. He closes his eyes in pain—not physical pain because Angela's fully healed him—and takes a deep breath. "Did anybody get hurt?"

He looks very troubled and that stirs something in me. "No," I tell him.

Edward leans back against his pillow, clearly relieved. "How long have I been out?"

"An hour maybe. Angela says you had a concussion."

"Is it too soon for me to leave this place?"

"I don't think so. So long as you're feeling better." I reply.

He stretches and stands up. His eyes seem to focus on my face, as if just now seeing it well under the artificial light. I attempt to bring my hair in front of my face, but it's too late. He's already noticed. "What the hell happened to your face?" His voice comes out low, as he's already fearing the answer.

"It's nothing." I rise and begin walking toward the door.

He blocks my path. "It's a _burn_." His voice cracks on the last word.

"It's not your fault," I tell him. Anger is etched all over his face—but it isn't directed toward me. It's almost self-loathing which only works to make me feel worse.

"C'mon," I urge him. "Let's go upstairs." He allows me to guide him down the hall to the elevator. It takes a couple of seconds for the elevator to reach our level. Once we enter, I press the button for the first floor. I stand, my back to the cool handrail, and Edward is across from me. The elevator moves steadily, and once the metal doors open, I usher him out.

"I need some fresh air." Edward says. He sounds so broken and defeated.

I am about to tell him something—anything—to prevent him from walking through those double doors a few feet away. It's the entrance to the southern courtyard. All that's left of the forest is the few trees that make up the tree line. But he's already gone. I see his silhouette against the backdrop of the moon. I join him outside, watching from a measurable distance. He stands in the courtyard, back facing me, surveying the damage in the moonlight. I think he's fighting inwardly. Our previous conversation about fire enters my mind. He told me that fire equaled destruction. This only confirms his thoughts.

He doesn't notice me approach until I'm right next to him. "You shouldn't have come out here," I mutter.

"They couldn't hide this from me forever," He replies; his voice is monotone. "I'm dangerous."

I could argue his comments for hours but it won't accomplish anything. He doesn't need to be here right now, for this to serve as a horrible reminder. An idea enters my mind. "Hold on," I tell him. "I'll be right back."

I move to walk away, but I feel a tug on my wrist. A pale hand tightly grips me, holding me in place. "Please." He whispers.

"Okay. Come with me then. We're headed to the Headmasters' building."

Edward doesn't question me. He only follows me obediently. I hate how trusting he is of me. The long walk up the hill is filled with silence. I feel a sense of obligation toward him seeing as how we both caused the fire, and I'm the real reason we were there in the first place. Guided only by moonlight, we round the building and make our way to the door.

I knock on the door, a purposeful knock. There's no response. After a minute or so, I try again, only to find the same response. "I know _someone's_ here," I mutter. I decide to take the risk and try the handle of the door regardless. To my surprise, it opens. Edward hangs back for a moment, hands in pocket as I enter the grand foyer. The way I see it, I'm carrying out my plan regardless, whether with the headmasters' permission or without. I'll just accept the repercussions instead of letting Edward take the blame if something happens. However, if I can, I'd like to _try_ to gain their permission.

"Hello?" I call out. No one responds. I walk across the light patterned tiles further into the room. In the center of the foyer where the small dark table rests, something is out of place. The expensive gold vase that sat on the tabletop, as I recall, is no longer sitting there. In its place is a set of keys. I pick them up in my hand, and they jingle, clacking against each other. I recognize these keys as the same ones from our last excursion.

With Headmaster Caius, every move is strategic. I wouldn't be surprised if these were left here on purpose. So with keys in hand, I guide Edward to the parking lot. Sure enough, I press the button on the remote and the lights of the red Ferrari flash twice.

In no time, we're leaving the gates of Volterra Academy behind us. Edward is leaned against the window on the passenger side, more silent than ever. I keep my eyes trained on the road before me. It's been a while since I've driven. I've never owned a car, but Jasper would let me drive his every now and again back in Washington. "Where do you want to go?" I ask Edward.

"Millennium Park." His response is immediate.

I turn left and merge onto I-90. Although I've never traveled this way before, it isn't difficult for me to follow the highway and make my way to Chicago. It takes about half an hour before the Chicago skyline appears before us. The top of the tall buildings are hidden by thick fog, swirling around the skyscrapers.

"Do you know your way around Chicago?" I jump at the sound of Edward's voice, as I had become accustomed to the silence that was the past thirty minutes.

"Not really," I reply.

"Take a right at this next exit."

I do as he says. The city is lively and busy. Newer buildings line both sides of the street. Cars run up and down the road, some honking impatiently and others attempting to perform moves that are surely illegal. I have to drive faster so the car behind me stops riding my tail. The Ferrari is accustomed to speed and purrs happily as I give into its desire.

"Make a left."

I make a sharp left, and we feel the jolt of the car as it goes over a pothole. Upon his instructions, I park the car to the right of the street. As we exit the car, I'm hoping that nothing will happen to this Ferrari. It's a pretty expensive car, and Caius would have our asses if something were to happen on the streets of Chicago.

Edward guides me up the walk. A stretch of grass is laid out before us. "This is the Great Lawn," He says emptily. "We're in Millennium Park now." There's no snow on the ground despite the chilly air around us. A strong wind blows, moving past the thick hair at my neck and cooling the skin there. A shudder rocks through Edward, and I wish I had thought to at least bring a jacket or coat for him.

Above the Great Lawn, huge metal arches cross, forming an intricate pattern in the black sky. We walk to a secluded area, but I can still hear the drone of the city life from nearby streets. The soft spiky grass prickles my butt as I sit down on the cool floor. I remove my jacket, exposing my arms. I hand it to Edward, "You look cold," I offer.

"I am." It's small on him, so he just uses it to cover his arms, providing a thin shield from the cold so familiar to him, yet so crisp and uninviting. "This was another place I'd go to when I wanted to be alone."

I draw my knees to my chest._ Why am I doing this?_ Why am I here with him now? It isn't as if he and I are friends or anything. I have no ties to him nor obligation. Yet here I am, upon my suggestion at that. My eyes flit to his face, and I remind myself. He looks so broken, that's why. How could I just leave him in the courtyard staring emptily after today's events?

"The whole forest…" He murmurs. His eyes close, and he's resigned that it's his fault.

"It wasn't the whole forest," I argue.

"Most of it."

There's silence as I struggle with the right words to say. I've never really had to comfort someone. I know that I can't just sit here while he's suffering, but I fear that my words will only make the situation worse. I repeat my words from before, "It's not your fault." I pause and look down. "It's mine. I shouldn't have suggested the forest. No matter how much control we both have, some things are simply just _out _of our control. With so many trees, a similar result is always a possibility."

"Don't blame yourself. With that kind of mindset, I'm a threat to anyone. Anywhere. I can't live life like that. I need more control."

"You're too hard on yourself," I respond, feeling a little hypocritical because I'm the same in a way.

"Am I?" His face is skeptical. "You saw what happened out there." Silence ensues, and he sighs. His grave voice drops an octave. "And what happened to you…" He turns away, unwilling to meet my eyes.

Part of me wants to let him know that I'm alright, but it's difficult. "It's only a burn," I say.

"Burns don't heal. Don't you realize?! Because of me, you've been scarred forever!" Edward raises his voice for the first time. His words cut like knives through the crisp air and linger.

My fingertips trace the mark on my cheek. It's not as bad now, as Angela was able to heal it some, but he is right. The burn is still here and will always be here. But for whatever reason, I can't bring my heart to hate him. I only feel sorrow _for _him. I want to comfort him, but I don't know how. So, my hands stay glued to my sides, and my lips stay pressed together.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," He says, realizing how his words affect me. But it's okay. I've done worse to him. I've slandered his name, misjudged him, and treated him unfairly. Why is _he _here with _me_?

"It's fine," I reply.

His small voice responds, "You should be angry." I think he wants me to be. And I wish I were. Feeling nothing is worse than feeling something. But I'm not sure what my emotions are, they've been so up and down lately. But anger… I can't bring myself to lash out as I normally would. The fight in me is gone.

"I'm not."

"You should be upset."

"I'm not."

"Despite everything that has occurred since I've arrived at Volterra, you're here with me. Why?"

I respond truthfully. "I… don't know."

He sighs. I lean back against my elbows, staring emptily at the buildings across from the park. The city lights are bright, and I doubt this city ever sleeps. "You can talk, you know." I correct my words, "If you want to, that is. I've grown good at keeping things to myself, but I don't think that that's always the best thing to do."

"It isn't," Edward agrees. He runs a hand through his messy reddish brown hair. "I don't like keeping things in, but I've had to for so many years." He pauses, and some seconds pass before he speaks again. "Have you ever done something unintentionally that really ended up hurting someone else?"

"I'm not sure I'm following."

His eyes find mine, willing me to understand. And I have a feeling that he's about to delve into something he hasn't spoken of in years. I don't like sharing things about my past, but this is clearly the real thing that's been eating away at him, and I know that he'll do better once it's off of his chest. Edward's voice is level and serious. "When I told you the story of the first manifestation of my powers, you asked if anyone got hurt in the fire. I lied. Everyone made it out of the school safely except for one person. My best friend."

Edward's eyes are sad, but there's something else in there as well. Acceptance. He's had to deal with this burden so long that he's accepted it. He continues, "Tyler and I had been close friends since elementary school. When the fire occurred, he was stuck in the school. Everyone made it out except him because he was away from the group. The firefighters got there, and were able to pull him out. He was unconscious when they brought him to the emergency room.

"Took a couple days before I got the courage to visit him. By then, the doctor told us that he had slipped into a coma. I couldn't stay there long. Looking at all those burns on his body, knowing that I was the cause..."

I would never have suspected a story like this, especially with how well he does to hide it. "Is he okay now?"

"He still hasn't woken up. The doctors don't know if he will, and if he does, if he'll be able to function after this—walking, moving, talking. His parents still hold hope."

"And what about you?" I get to the root of it.

"I have hope too." He responds with a sigh of what seems to be relief. "I still—uh—visit him sometimes."

I draw closer to him, scooting across the grass because it almost comes naturally. He looks worse than before—weary and weak. He leans against me and rests his head in my lap. "Is this okay?" He asks.

I nod, not feeling as uncomfortable by the proximity of his body. We just sit there on the grass. He seeks the comfort that my being there provides, and we don't need to speak. I'm not sure if he realizes it, but I can see the unshed tears glistening in his eyes.

Some time passes, and I'm reflecting on it all. I assume that he's asleep, and I glance at my watch. It's almost midnight. "I don't want to go back," Edward's voice is clear as he regards me. "Not tonight." He hasn't moved an inch, and I now doubt that he was ever asleep.

"Okay," I reply. "But we can't stay here. You're freezing." His body really is cold, a very noticeable difference in his usual temperature. I doubt that he cares, but I find that I do. "Let's go to the car."

He's clutching me, holding me closely as we walk. We climb in the car, and I sigh. I turn the heat all the way up, and I feel the change in atmosphere. "I guess we're spending the night in here. Maybe there's something in here that could be of our benefit."

The seats aren't uncomfortable by any means, and we can adjust them to lower all the way back as a makeshift bed. I check the glove-box to see if I can find a blanket, jacket, or something else that can be used. Instead, my hands run across paper—a stack of it. I lean down to see what I am feeling and find a stack of cash. "Bingo," I say. "We're checking in to a hotel room. Think you can navigate me to the nearest hotel?"

He nods. "Take a right two blocks down."

If he objects to our spending this money, he doesn't voice it. Everything happens for a reason, and I feel like the money was purposely planted here.

We get a room with two beds in a reasonably priced hotel for downtown Chicago. The two of us are too exhausted to do anything other than climb under our respective sheets as soon as we enter the suite.

"Bella?" Edward says.

"Yes?" I turn to the other side of the mattress to face him.

"Thanks for listening."

I'm not sure how to respond to his genuine statement, so I mutter, "Uh-huh."

His next words catch me off-guard. "And maybe one day, you'll trust me enough to tell me your story."

I remain silent. It isn't that I don't trust him, well, it partly could be that. But, I haven't even told my friends much about it. Only Jasper knows because he's a part of my story, and both of us have a sort of unspoken rule about not mentioning things that have happened. What's past is past. Although, the events that occurred today cause me to doubt that philosophy. Edward still deals with the result of the actions of his past, and in a way, I may be doing the same.

I hear his steady breathing and deduce that he's fallen asleep. "Goodnight, Edward," I whisper into the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know what you're thinking.**


End file.
